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■<^.N 


./ 


HISTORY 


OF 


J 


RAWFORD  AND  RICHLAND  COUNTIES. 


WISCONSIN. 


toqetheu  with  sketches  of  theiu  towns  and  villages,  educational,  civil,  mili- 

TAItY  AND  political  HISTOKY;  POKTRAITS  OF  PROMINENT  PERSONS,  AND 
biographies  of  REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS. 


HISTORY    OF    WISCONSIN. 


<"y  (_' 


7 


■  i-i^i-^-i. 


EMBRACING  ACCOUNTS  OF  THE  PRE-HISTORIC  EACES,  AND  A  BRIEF  ACCOUNT 
OF  ITS  TERRITORIAL  AND  STATE  GOVERNMENTS. 


ILLUSTRATED. 


SPRINOFIELD.     ILL. 
lINrON    PKBLISHINO    COMPANT. 

1884. 


n      .  TO  THE  PIONEERS 


f  iV.^^ 


0  9)^  OF 


'u 


CRAWFORD  AND  RICHLAND  COUNTIES. 

THIS  VOLUME  IS 

RESPECTFULLY  DEDICATED, 

WITH  THE  HOPE  THAT  YOUR  VIRTUES  MAY  BE  EMULATED  AND  YOUK  TOILS 

AND  SACRIFICES  DULY'  APPRECIATED  BY'  COjMING 

GENERATIONS. 


.?7y 


PREFACE. 


This  work  was  commenced,  and  has  been  carried  forward  to  com])letii>n,  witli  a  s])(MMlic 
object  in  view,  which  was,  to  place  upon  record  in  a  reliable  manner  and  in  pcnniiiiinl  I'.om, 
whatever  incidents  of  importance  have  transpired  within  what  are  now  the  limits  of  Crawford 
and  Richland  counties,  since  their  first  settlement.  As  preliminary  lo  the  narrative  j. roper,  it 
was  thought  best  to  give  a  succinct  history  of  the  State  at  large,  including  an  account  of  its  pre- 
historic earthworks,  of  the  early  visitations  of  ti.e  fui-trader  and  missionary,  and  of  the  jurisdic- 
tions exerciseil  over  this  region  by  different  governments;  also  of  the  important  incidents  trans- 
piring here  wliile  the  Territory  of  Wisconsin  was  in  existence.  fThis  part  of  the  work  is  from 
»     the  pen  of  Prof.  C.  W.  Butterfield,  of  Madison./ 

In  the  general  history  of  the  two  counties,  as  well  as  in  those  of  their  cities,  towns  and 
villages,  the  reader  will  find  that  incidents,  reminiscences  and  anecdote.'  are  recorded  with  a 
variety  ajtd  completeness  commensurate  with  their  importance.  Herein  is  furnished  (and  this  is 
said  with  confidence)  to  the  present  generation  and  to  those  which  follow  it,  a  valuable  reflex  of 
the  times  and  deeds  of  the  pioneers.  It  has  been  truly  said  that  "a  people  that  takes  no  pride 
in  the  noble  achievements  of  remote  ancestors  will  never  achieve  anything  to  be  remembered 
with  pride  by  remote  descendants."  It  is  believed  that,  in  the  following  pages,  there  is  erected 
to  the  pioneer  men  and  women  of  Crawford  and  Richland  counties  a  lasting  monument. 

The  resolutions  passed  by  Congress  in  18Y6  in  reference  to  the  preparation  and  preservation 
of  local  history,  and  the  proclamation  from  the  President  recommending  that  those  resolutions 
be  carefully  observed,  have  met  with  the  very  general  and  hearty  approval  of  the  people.  In- 
deed, so  acceptable  has  seemed  this  advice  from  our  law-makers,  that  steps  have  already  been 
taken  in  almost  every   thoroughly  organized  community   throughout  the  land  to  chronicle  and 


IV  PREFACE 


place  in  permanent  form  the  annals  of  each  neighborhood,  thus  rescuing  from  oblivion  mncli 
interesting  and  valuable  information  that  is  irretrievably  lost  each  year  tlirotigli  the  deatli  of  old 
settlers,  and  the  decay  and  ravages  of  time.  It  was  thought  there  could  be  no  good  reason  why 
the  history  of  Crawford  and  Richland  counties  should  not  be  placed  upon  as  enduring  a  founda- 
tion as  those  of  surrounding  counties;  and,  to  this  end,  no  expense  or  pains  has  been  si)arcd  to 
render  it  worthy  the  patronage  of  its  citizens.  A  number  of  experienced  writers  upon  local  his- 
tory under  the  guidance,  and  aided  by  C.  W.  Butterfield  in  Crawford  county,  and  George  A. 
Ogle  in  Richland  county,  have  had  the  work  in  charge  from  its  inception  to  its  close  ;  and,  iipcjn 
completion  of  their  labor,  before  any  portion  of  the  manuscript  was  sent  to  the  press,  the  whole 
was  submitted  to  county  and  town  committees  of  citizens  for  revision,  thus  insuring  correctness 
and  adding  materially  to  the  vulue  of  the  book. 

The  labors  of  all  engaged  in  this  enterprise  have  been  cheered  by  the  cordial  assistance  and 
good-will  of  many  friends,  so  many,  indeed,  that,  to  attempt  to  name  them,  would,  in  this  con- 
nection, be  impracticable;  to  all  of  whom,  grateful  acknowledgement;;  are  tendered.  Tlie  officers 
of  the  State  Historical  Society  of  Wisconsin,  have,  from  the  first,  been  unremitting  in  their  en- 
deavors to  aid  the  undertaking.  The  press  of  both  counties  is  entitled  to  sjiecial  mention  for  their 
help  and  encouragements  so  generously  tendered. 

UNION  PUBLISHING  COMPANY. 

April,  1884. 


TABLE   OF  CONTENTS. 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


CHAPTER  I. 

PAGE. 

PKRHISTOllIC  AND  SETTLEMENT 17 

Kii'St  Exploi-ntiim  of  tbe  Northwest 18 

VV  seonsin  visited  by  fur  trailers  iiml  Jesuitmisslon- 

aries 19 

Kou tilling  of  Jesuit  missions  in  Wisconsin 20 

Wisnonsin  unrler  French  domination 21 

Wisconsin  under  English  supreniaey 23 

Wisconsiti  as  a  part  of  the  Northwest  Territory 25 

Wisconsin  as  a  part  of  the  Territory  of  Indiana 27 

Wisconsin  as  a  part  of  Illinois  Territory 29 


CHAI'TEU  II. 


WISCONPIN  AS  A  TEKlirmUY. 

Sieri-laiics 

r  Mi  led  Stales  Attorneys 

I'liited  States  Marshals 


CHAPTEH  III. 
WISCONSIN  AS  A  STATE 


I'AOE 

34 

.  .     35 

35 

35 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY.   WISCON 


.IN 


CHAPTER  I. 

A  IIEA.  POSITION  AND  PHYSICAL  FEATURES  . 

Area •   •• 

Position ; 

Physical  Eeatures 

The  Kivers  of  the  County 

CIIAI'TERII. 

TOPOtiltAPHY  ANDGEOLOGY   

CHAPTER  HI. 

ANCIENT  INHABITANTS 

Mound  Huilders 

The  Sioux 

Sa<-s  and  Koxcs 

Indian  Conflicts  within  the  County 

The  Winnebnsoes 

CHAPTER  IV. 

EARLY  EXPLOUATIONS 

Expedition  of  I,i>uis  .loliet 

Expedition  of  Michael  Accau 

i:xpcditionof  Dnluth 

Perrol's  Voyajre  to  the  West 

I,a  I'erriert^  liuilds  a  Eort  on  LakcPopin 

TheJourneyof  Jonathan  Carver .'..  . 

Observatioiis  of  Major  Pike 

Up  the  Mississippi  in  isili 

CHAPTER  V. 

THE  W A U  OF  1812-15 

Anderson's  Journal  1814 


CHAPTER  VI. 


THE  WINNEBAGO  WAK 

Murder  of  Gagaierand  Lipcap 


88 
fc8 
94 
«5 
99 
103 


129 
129 
13(1 
132 
132 
132 
133 
140 
142 


147 

1.54 


I'.l'.l 
199 


I' 

A  Winnebajro  debauch 

The  tirst  battle  of  Dad  Ax  

Arrival  of  K-ovcrninent  troops 

ne-Kau-rav's  imprisonment 

.lames  H.  Lockwood's  aeeountof  the  Winnebago  War 

Last  act  of  the  Wiunehajfo  W»ir  

Mrs.  Coasm  Cherrier's  aeeountof  the  Uajfuierinur- 

der '. ■ 

CHAPTER  VII. 

THE  DLACK  HAWK  WAK 

liattleof  Stillman'sKun 

IJattle  of  Pecatonlea 

Haltlp  of  Wisconsin  Heights 

Itattle  of  Had  Ax 

Up  and  down  the  Mississippi  before  the  Black  Hawk 

War  

Death  of  Ulack  Hawk 

CHAPTER  VIH. 

UNITED  STATES  LAND  SURVEYS  

CHAPTER  IX. 


KV,  V. 
199 

2011 
201 
3(11 
211 


220 
22(i 
227 
282 
236 

238 
253 


257 


284 


PRIVATE  LAND  CLAIMS 

CHAPTER   X. 

FIRST  SETTLEMENT  OF  THE  COUNTY 280 

Of  the  first  live  settlers ^1 

Names  of  early  settlers 281 

An  unsolx-ed  problem *81 

W  here  the  fl  rst  settiericnt  was  made ;W1 

Firtrlv  customs  and  habits 288 

Crawford  C(ninty  in  18UB ^ 

Traditions  and  recollections  of  Prairie  du  Chlon 290 

Settli-rs  between  l.siil  and  1840       294 

Residents  who  were  livinif  here  in  183»  295 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

Settlers  in  1837,  1838  iind  ISW 396 

i^ioneer  times 296 

Incidents  of  pioneer  history 299 

Prominent  pioneers 300 

CHAPTER  XI. 


I'UIXEERLIFE 

Tb(^  Ioh:  cabin 

I'loiieer  iLirnitiirc. . 
Primitive  cookery. 
Primitive  tliresliing 

Goinf*-  to  mill 

Wild  animals 


307 
307 


308 
309 


CHAPTER  Xir. 


FlKSTTHlNGS 

Milit-^ry  road 

The  tirst  school  

Thirst  postal  arranjrcment 

First  Sunday  School 

First  prot^&tant  meetjny-s  

CHAPTER  XIII. 

FORM A'L' ION  AND  OUGANIZATION  OF  THE  COUNTY 

AN  n  L(  )f  AT  I N  G  TH  E  COUNTY  SEAT 

Forming-  and  naming  the  County 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

MILlTAire  OCCUPATION 

•  'The  French  Fort"— a  myth 

The  lirst  Foit  Crawford 

William  Harris  <  'rawford 

A  reij?n  of  terror 

A  milder  reign 

The  first  Fort  Crawford  In  1833 

Zachary  Taylor 

Notable  events 


313 
3U 
314 
314 
315 


329 
3:!9 
334 
334 
3:a 
336 
337 
337 
337 


CHAPTER  XV. 

TEKUITORIAL,  STATE  AND  CONGKESSIONAL  REP- 
RESENTATION  

Congressional  delegates  from  Michigan  Territory. . . 
Congressional  delegates  from  Wisconsin  Territory. . . 

Members  of  the  Council  of  Wisconsin  Territory 

Members  of  the  Assembly  of  Wisconsin  Territory. . . 

Constitniioual  conventions 

Members  of  the  Senate  

Members  of  Congress. 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

THE  COURTS,  PAST  AND  PRESENT 

A  model  justice 

A  lawyer  ■ 'squashod" 

First  term  of  the  County  Court 

A  tribute  to  the  late  H.  L.  Dousraan 

Territorial  Circuit  Court 

Holding  court  under  ditKcuItie^i 

A  special  session  of  the  Circuit  Court 

state  Circuit  Court \ 

'         Circuit  .judges. 

County  Court  of  Crawford  County 

Clerks  of  the  Territorial  Countj-  Court 

Clerks  of  the  United  S'ates  District  Court 

Clerks  of  the  State  Circuit  Court 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

THE  BAR,  PAST  AND  PRESENT 

Present  County  orticials 


c;hapter  XVIII. 


RAILROADS. 


3.5.5 
3.55 
355 
355 
3.56 
3.5t) 
357 
358 


359 
363 
.364 
364 
369 
373 
373 
374 
383 
383 
386 
3«0 
390 
390 


391 
401 


403 


chapter  XIX. 


AGRICULTURE    AND  THE    AGRICULTURAL  SOCI- 
ETY   408 

CHAPTER  XX. 

THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION     423 

CHAPTER  XXt 

PIONERK  REMINISCENCES 430 

My  .bhn  .-^hiiw 430 

By  .lames  H.  Lockwood 4.33 

l!y  William  . I.  Snelling 440 

ByS.M.  Palmer 467 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

PAGE 

THE  SCHOOLS  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY 470 

CHAPTER  XXIII.  _ 

VARIOUS  THINGS 475 

A  Pioneer  Incident 475 

The  Vast  Illimitable  changing  West 475 

Crawford  County,  in  1873 477 

The  fur  trade  in  Crawford  County 479 

In  Memoriara 491 

Attempted  removal  of  the  County  Seat  492 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

THE  WAR  FOR  THE  UNION 495 

Crawford  County  Pensioners 531 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

THE  NEWSPAPER  PRESS .534 

Prairie  du  Chien  Patriot 534 

The  Crawford  County  Courier .535 

The  Prairie  du  Chien  Leader 539 

The  Prairie  du  Chien  Union 540 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 

EARLY  CUUNTV  GOVER.VMENT    544 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 

TOWN  OF  BRIDGEPORT 5.59 

Recollections  of  Mrs.  Joseph  Atherton 5.59 

Village  OF  Bridgepoht .562 

Reminiscence  of  Theresa  Barret te ? .564 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

TOWN  OF  CLAYTON -573 

Village  OF  SOLDiEU's  GitoVE 580 

Village  OF  Kingston 581 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 

TOWN  OF  EASTMAN .588 

CHAPTER  XXX. 

TOWN  OF  FREEMAN .594 

DeSoto  V1LL.1GE .598 

Village  OF  I'EKRYViLLE 603 

CHAPTER  XXXI. 

TOWN  OF  HANEY OH 

Village  OF  Bell  Centek 61.) 

CHAPTER  XXXII. 

TOWN  OF  MARIETTA "20 

Reminiscence  of  Nancy  Wayne 624 

VILI.AGE  OF   BOYDSTOWN 625 

Village  OF  Georgetown 626 

CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

PRAIRIE  DU  CHIEN— TOWN  AND  CITi.' 635 

City  OF  Pbaikie  DU  Chien 637 

CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

TOWN  OF  SCOTT 693 

CHAPTER  XXXV. 

TOWN  OF  SENECA 712 

Village  OF  Sr.NECA 717 

Village  OF Lynxville 719 

CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

TOWN  OF  UTICA 728 

N'lLLAGE  OF  MtH'NT  >^TERLING 734 

Village  of  Towehvillb 736 

Village  of  Risixg  Sus 739 

CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

TOWN  OF  WAUZEKA 750 

VILL.4GE  OF   WAUZEKA 732 


TABLE  OF   CONTENTS. 


BIOGRAPHICAL. 


/^ 


Ackorley,  ,lohn 

Adams,  Thomas 

Akin.   Vininus  E 

Allen,  .larob  

Alien,  .I.U. 

Allen,  Lemuel  H 

Ames,  Boi'sev  I* 

Anns,    Pliilenu 

Arnistrohg,  Samuel 

Ateheson,  ,Sr.  William 
Atherton,  Josepli 

liailey,  Charles  A 

Uailey,  Andrew 

Itaker  Isaac    

Baker,  Charles  Wesley. 

Itaker,  George  C 

Halrirhard,  A , 

Harry,  J.  S   

Uarrette,  Henry 

linrrette,  Sr.  Peter 

Uarrette,  Charles 

Itarrctte,  Samuel 
Karthdlomew,   Peter... 

Ilassett,  Harvey 

Itaxter,   I)r  

Iteach,  Ale.vauder  >I  . . 

lieaeh,  S.  S 

Beaumont.  William 

Beeseeker,  Andrew  J. 

Beekwar,    Andrew 

Beier,  Georj^e 

Benedict,  Alonzo 

Bensou,   H.  ,1 

Bennett,  Charles  P 

Biederman,  C.  Eliza... 

liijfelow,  J.  S 

Bishop,  Blind  T 

Blair,  A.  V 

Bonne.v,  I^eonard 

Bosch,  Andrew 

Bowen,  Ethan  A    

Brace,  P.  It 

Braman,  Amos 

Breidenbaeb,  .Michael.. 

Briifgs,  J.J 

BrigKS,   Darius  \V 

Brii-'ht,  Thomas  C 

Bri^'htman,  Prank 

Hrower,  Arthur 

Brower,  Thomas  L...   , 

Brown,  S.  L  

Brunson,  Alfred 

Brunson,  Ira  B 

Brunson,  Emma 

Urunner,    H  

Bull.  Benjamin 

Bullock,  Walter  U..     . 

Burrell,    ,Iohn 

Burkholder,  David 

Biu-nett.  Thomas  P.  ... 
Bntterflell.  LeRojT... 

(]lallawav.  J.  M 

Camplxll,   Will  G 

Campltell.  Peter 

Camphell,  .lamesE 

Case,   Lawrence 

Casey,   Dr 

Caswell.  Oliver  A 

Ca\'a,  Louis 

<  iiya,  Miteh»ll 

Chapek,  Prank ... 


PAGE 

..    eSiflhapek,  Mathias  ."^ 

..     741  Christopheison,  Sever 

..  (iOli  Chiircliill,  GeorK-e  W.  ... 
. .  iS- Clark,  Samuel  Adams.  ... 
..    0:14  Clemen tson,  George 

727  Coalljurn.  Deitriek 

60:i  Coalburu,  Charles  F 

. .    5(;7'Coleniau,  .Johu  P 

7'.il  Coleman,   Harrison 

.       7iiUjCollins,  Kred.  E 

. .     ofJliK Sonant,  John 

^,-^u;^ook,  Pizarro 

■  •    l^ijilCopper,  Ralph 

■„.,^  Cothren,  Montgomery  M. 

('urran.  James  .\ 

Curts,  Jr.,  William      .     . 


.581 
5tB 
5!)a 
427 
5B4 
■iBJ 
r)«4 
Ottt 
BOil 
.505 
428 
4U1 
42;) 
4-W 
.571 
.5!>2 
7«U 
424 
fi.S4 
.5S: 
lil8 
724 
805 

;(».• 
5'j:i 

077 
71J4 


Dallam,  James  B 

Daugherty,  .1.  W.. 

Davis,   William 

Davis,  (ieorge  W 

Da.v,  Jeremiah 

Day,  John 

Dean,  George   

Dognan.  Jr.,  James 

Denio,  Aaron 

Dickson,   William. 

Dickson,  Thomas 

Dinioek,   Redmond  0. 

Dinr^dale.    James 

Dinszale,  Dr 

Dousman,  Jane  F 

Dousiuan,  llercules  L 

Doyli'.  Peter 

Drew,  David 

Duncan.  Robert 

Dutcher,  William 


Eastman,  B.  D 

Eddy,  Edward  S... 

Eitsert,  Henry 

;„;!  Elliott,  Edward  C 
s^jiElwee-,   Dr    


582 


Evans,  William  H. 


74' 


;  Evert,    Fred. 


■j^j^lEyers, ,  Robert. 


.581 


,  Fairbanks,  Harry. 


J  I'airlield,  (ieorpre. . 
l''anifclion.  .lulius. 


Ii'<2 
(1 

.5s:i 
:!in 

liHl) 

3tti 
42U 

iSlt  Ferrel,  Stephen  S 


Feldnumn,  John  Nicholas. 

Fenton,  D.  (i 

Kerrel,  James  M 

Ferrel,  J.  T 

Feriell,  S.  S 


r'u'-iFlsh,  Seyniour 

'-(),.  Fisher,  James.  ..     . 

.'«,.  Flint,  Edwin 

■ftori  Folsom,  John  H. .  ., 
"■"'Foster,  (ieorg.-  W... 
632;Fri>nk,  AlphcusE... 
402  Friedorieli,  Marcus. 
KiO  Frltsche,  Charles... 
B77  Fuller,  Charles  S.... 
67» 

428  Gale,  George 

741  Gander,   David 

722  Gander,  G.J 

722  Gardiner,  Stephen.. 
7.50Garvey,  Brothers... 


688 
585 
70' 
073 
380 

7as 

702 
70:i 
617 
572 
420 
722 
IIOII 
:18;5 
74.S 

no'.i 

3!)2 
03! 

cm 

74<i 
424 

097 
723 
7.5^| 
402 
725 
724 
685 
580 
428 

■mA 

:iOU 

3D8 
592 
701 

:«»7 

42(1 
08.5 
60;; 
701 

4281 

4i'li 

on: 

702: 

4251 
508  i 
074 
700 
3!l:i, 
02!l 
028! 

628' 
5a5 
5!ll 

assj 

072, 

Olio 
400 
670 
.567 
400 

3R4 
58:j 
584 
629 

088 


Garvey,  Robert 

Gay,  T.  W 

Go\ers,   Chri.stoph. , 
Gilbert,  William..   . 

Glover,  R.  E 

Graham.  Jacob 

Grelle.  Charles 

Grelle,  Christopher 
Guiekan,  James..   .. 


Haggerty,  J.  A 

Haisted,  L.  C 

Flalverson,  Ole  

Hamuierly.  Leonard... 
Hamilton,   Henry...   . 

Harris,  De.\terG 

Harris.  William.. 
Harrington,  George  E 

Haz.en,  Sanun'l 

Helgerson,   Henry 

Helgerson,  Martin...    . 
Helgersou,  Thomas... - 

Hunt,  B.  T 

H\uiter,  J.  D 

Hudlnit,  I.  D 

Hurlbut,  John  J.   

Hurlbut.  John  R...    ... 

Hutchinson,  Buel  E 

Hughbanks,   WilliaTn.. 


PAGE 

72*' 

'..  747 

. .  002 

. .  702 

, .  425 

. .  705 

.  074 

..  074 

. .  0331 


Levi,  Albert 

Levi,  Nathan  H..     ...   . 

Lewis,  W.  D.  C 

Lockart,  Edward  P 

Lockwood,  James  H..,. 

Lockwood,  .lohn  S 

Lowry,  Edward.   

McAuley,  William 

MeCrillis. .loseph  E 

^,„!.MoCullick,L.  II 

;o"|MiT)(makl,  James  H  .. .. 
/ri  McDonald,  Jane 


Ingham,  James 

.Tackson,  Mortimer  M. 

Jaokson,   Orson 

Jacobia,  George  E 

Jaeger,  Fiederick 

,Iames,  Hi^nr.v  T 

Jetter.  Jacob 

Johnson,  Daniel  H.... 

.lobnston,  John 

,Johns<m,  Ole 

Jonet;,  Joel  Dart 


740 
742! 
017 
li.O 
032 
OSS 
.501 
I'll  1.5 1 
.587 
74>- 
3061 
.587 
5421 
7001 
7IKI 
393 
708 


383 

68: 


McDonald,  William 

McDougal,  Charles. ... 

McDougal.J.  W 

.McHarg,  John 

Mclnlyro,  D:n  ifl 

Marsden.Sr.,  Thomas.. 
Marsdon.Jr.,  Thomas. 

.Mason,  Darius 

.Mai  hews,  Charles  A 

Matibews,  Richard  G.. 

.Maynard.  llc'nr.v  <,: 

Meimrd,  Mary  Ann 

.\Ienges,  Michael 

Merrill,  Willard 

Merrell, William  D  .... 

Miller,  Andrew 

Millar,  H.  C 

Miller.G    L 

Miller.John 

Miller.  North  ..  

.Mills,  A.  E. 


^f|.';iMills, Fergus.. 
^j,:jMills,  George_ 

005 


700 

394; 


Mills,  Joseph  T 

Mindham.  WilMam... 
.Mitchell,  Mahlon  G... 


•>nr,'Momo,  Grtliriel 

iJiV .M ontgomery,  Archibald . . 


5841 
424 


-Mook,  David. 


Kast,  Henry  CO  .  ... 

Kast,  Ira  F 

Kast,  J.  N 

Kast,  Jeremiah  N 

Kast,  William  V.  N... 

Kahler.  Charles 

Kelly,  F.  W 

Ivenneson,  Marstiii  S. 

Kenyon,  Lewis 

Kinder.    J.  It 

King,  Henry  C 

Kingsland,  John  S 

King,  Lynum 

King,  Rufus 

Knops,  John     

Knowlton,   Wiram.   .. 
Knutson,  Ole    


Newton,  William 
Newton, John  A. 


i Moore,  Dr. 

6:i4  Morgan,  G  

010  Morris,  Robert 

400; Mumtord,  Charles  N.. 

2|^flNewick,  Walter 

50; 

ijS  Niekcrson,  Marcus  F 
i:.;  Noggle,  David... 

,..;-  Volan,  Peter 

.±;  Norris,  M.  E  .... 

V'lj^Norris.T.n 

i;:,.  Nugent, Thomas 
:J;j;lNnfer,    Eli  

087  otto,  Henry  .     . 


>Ar.E 
.  601 
.  692 
.  617 
,  673 
.  391 
070 
3iii; 

.    7:',o 
.    om 

.     705 

.     089 

609 

609 

,    428 

700 

'  680 
571 
■571 
42.5 
6811 
6tti 

,  .568 
42.1 
682 
;»I4 
537 
759 
42.3 
401 
706 
725 
747 
720 
400 
385 
704 
740 
74M 
581 
582 
427 
426 
72:! 
758 


Patten,  James. 


H. 


La  Force,  Louis.    . 
Lampkins,  .X    D 
Langdon,  William 

l.alhrop.  L.  L 

I.athriip,  Piatt  A 

Laurence,  Richard  B 
Lawrence,   Thomas.. 

I^awson  S 

Learned,    Charles..    . 

Leclerc,  Leander 

Lester,,  David  K 

Lester,  Hern'v  C  


383 

^''*''  Patten.  J. 

722  Pease,  G.  W 

187  Peek,  Cyrus 

017  Peterson,  Hoorer  M 
7.57  Peterscm, Nelson  O 

018  Peterson,  Peter  N . . 
70<i  Phillips,  AnilrcwC  . 
aBlPhillips,  A.  D 
5>V)  Phillips,  Friend  A 
393  Phillips,  Abraham 
;bi3  Pickett, Theodore  F.. 

742  Pittsle.v,. lohn  

749lPorter,C.  V 


VIII 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


Portci-,  Samuil  C 

Pose}',  James 

Putnam,  James 


RaflfauC,  Jac 

Ke  te  iieyer.  A.  H  .. 

Rice,  Cliri8li-in 

Hichardsoii.  John  G 

Hk'bman, H.  L 

Kogvrs,  Alfred  A.... 

liDg-ers,  Kdwai-d 

Itojrers, Jonathan  ... 

Kosenhanni,  S 

Rounds.  Charles  R... 

Rowan, M.  \V 

Kussell.  A.  (J 

Rutter,  John 


Samufls,  Alexander  F  . 
Schumann.  Theodore. . . . 
Schweizer.  iohn  George. 

."■'earlc.  A.  N   

Sears.  .Archibald 

Sharman.Sr.,  William.. . 


Sheridan,  Philip 

Sherwood,  H.  i 

Sime,  TostenT 

t^mereina,  Frank... 
Smethurst,  James.. 

.Smelhui>t.  John 

SiiiiUi.  ( Icorge  A  .  - . . 

Smith,  Ralph 

Speck,  Charles  H     .. 

Spencer,  J.  R 

Steele,  Chauncey  H . 

Stefify,    J   

Steiger,  Emil 

Steiner,  Adam 

Stein er,  John  G 

Sterling-,  William  T., 
St.  Johns, Charles.. 

Stowell.J.  L 

Strayer,  Jacob 


».VOE 

.58:3 
74(1 
600 
689 
617 
7411 
581 
75B 
401 
702 
630 
746 
42B 
591 
677 
7:J0 
4:;ii 
58a 
571 : 


PACK 

Thomas,  O .  B 392 

Thompson,  Ambrose T^i 

Thompson,  Edwin 741 

Tichnor,  Dealton  .     .....  397 

Tilmont,  Joseph  684 

Tower,  John  H 609 

Tower,Jr.,John  H 610 

Trott,  Hannah 599 

True,  Dr      428 

Turk,  James. . .   703 

Turner,  Samson 748 


Vanderbelt,  John  ..  .. 
Van  Vickie,  Edson  W. 
Vaughan,  Aaron  C  B.. 

Vaughan,  O.  P 

Vaiighan,  W.  A 

Viele,L.  F.  S 


728 
689 
740 
759 

758 
.397 


Taft,  Seymour 619,  Wachter,  George 687 

Tat't, Sr.,  Alanson 618  Walton,  J.  B     400 

Tallman, Nelson  A 745  Walton,  William  B  704 

Taylor,  James 726,  Wannemaker,  Samuel  L..  631 


PAGE 

Ward.T.V 401 

Wayne,  James  N 627 

Wayne,  Lewis 628 

Wayne,  Nathaniel 62S 

Wayne,  William 627 

Webster,  Baniel 397 

Webster,  Myron  M     399 

Weniger.  Henry 691 

Whalev.  Edward  A 678 

Whittemore,J.  F 586 

Whitney,  J.J 435 

Widman,  John  G 760 

Wilbur,  George  M 746 

Wilcox,  Joseph 398 

Wilt,  William 705 

\V  inegar,  Ferdinand .593 

Withee.A.  B 726 

Withee,  Daniel 727 

Wood,E.   B 424 

Wolcott,Alden  E 728 

Wright,  E.  M 681 

Young,  Alexander    604 

Young,  Henderson  701 


PORTRAITS. 


Brower,  Thomas  L 183 

Case,  Lawrence 217 


PAGE  PAGK 

IDousman,  H.  L 285 


Dousman,  Mrs 286 


PAGE 

King,  H.  C 319 

Merrill,  William  D 133 


Otto,  Henry. 


PAGE 


TABLE  OF  C  ONTENTS. 


IX 


H  1  STORY  OF   RICH  LAND  CO  UN  1  Y. 


CHAPTER  I. 

PAGE. 

INTKOIU'CTOllY "fil 

Topography 7(J'^ 

Oiogiaphy  imd  Geology 702 

CHAPTER  H. 

MOL'ND  iiUILDEItS  AND  INDIAN  OCCUPANCY 7r.B 

CHAPTP^R  in. 

E A l{  I,Y  S ETTLE M  KNT Tll'l 

(.)r;:finization  of  Ihc  County 775 

Fiist  EycMits.  7711 

CHAPTER  IV. 

COUNTY  GOVERNMENT 7a3 

CHAPTER  V. 

VARIOUS  OFFICIAL  MATTERS 7!W 

CHAPTER  VI. 

PO1.ITICAL  STATISTICS SU 

CHAPTER  Vn. 

NATIONAL,    STATE   AND   COUNTY    REPRESENTA- 
TION   823 

Congressional   82) 

Legislative 821! 

County  Clerk 827 

Clerks  of  Court 828 

Register  of  Deeds 828 

County  Treasurers  8:i0 

Sheriffs 8;!1 

County  Judges Si3 

Proseeuting  Attorneys 8;j;j 

County  Superintendents 8;h 

Cou  nty  Surveyors 834 

Coroners 8;j.t 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE  COURTS  OF  HICHLAND  COUNTY 8.!0 

CHAPTER  IX. 

THE  RAH  OK  RICHLAND  COUNTY 858 

CHAPTER  X. 

EDUC.\T10NAL 867 

CHAPTER  XI. 

GOVERNMENT  SURVEYS 8«!l 

CHAPTER  XII. 

REMINISCENCES  OF  EARLY  DAYS 873 

BvLevIHouts 874 

By  William  Wulllng...          876 

Bv  A.  Hnseltine 878 

BvSalma  Rogers 881 


PAGE. 

By  George  H.  Babb 882 

ByA.L.  Hateh 884 

Byd.L.Laws 8K) 

BvJ.  M.  Reid  886 

By  J.  H.  Waggoner 888 

By  .lanifs  H.  Miner 890 

Bv  Rev.  John  Walwortli 8!I2 

By  Rev.  J.  H.  Mathers  893 

By  Mrs.  Cvrus  D.  Turner 896 

By  IsraelJanney 898 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

WAR  FOR  THE  UNION iKB 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


930 


THE  HONORED  PIONEER  DEAD 

CHAPTER  XV. 

THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION 940 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

RAILWAY  AND  TELEGRAPH  LINES 948 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

DARK  DEEDS 9.J1 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

THE  PRESS 9fil 

Richland  Count  J' Observer , 962 

Riehland  Counlj'  R  epublican 964 

Republican  and  Observer 964 

'I  he  Live  Republican 965 

The  Observer 966 

Satt's  Pine  River  Pilot 906 

The  Richland  Democrat 966 

The  Uii  hland  Rustic 967 

Uiihland  County  Democrat 907 

The  Zouave 967 

The  Sentinel 908 

Thr  1 11.1. -pendent 968 

The  Richland  Union  Democrat 988 

Lone  Rock  Pilot 970 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

TOWN  OF  AKAN 971 

CHAPTER  XX. 

TOWN  OF  BLOOM 981 

ViLi.AOK  OF  Sphi NO  Valley  98:! 

Village  OP  West  Li.MA 981 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

TOWN  OF  BI'ENA  VISTA 989 

Richland  City 993 

Lo.vE  Rock 994 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

TOWN  OF  DAYTON 1012 

Village  OF  BoAz 1015 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

PAGE. 

^       TOWN  OF  EAGLE 1023 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

TOWN  OF  FOREST ]{M3 

Village  OF  VioL.\ 104.5 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

TOWN  CF  HENRIETTA 1031 

Early  St-ttlement 1051 

Eflucatioiial 10.W 

Religious    105i 

Village  OF  Woodstock 10.56 

ViLLAGf;  CF  i'DB.l 1058 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 

TOWN  OF  ITHACA 1070 

Early  Settlement lOTO 

Religious    lOTB 

Elucational 1078 

Organic 1079 

Village  OF  Pktf.ksuurg 1080 

Village  OF  Neitune 1080 

Village  OF  Ithaca 1081 

Village  of  Se.xtonville 1083 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 

TOWN  OF  MA USH ALL 1107 

Early  Settlement 1107 

First  Things 1109 

Educational 1110 

Religious 1111 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

TOW.v  OF  OlilON 11.30 

Enrlv  Settlement 11.50 

FirstTliings 1132 

Educational 1I3;; 

Religious 1132 

VILL.AGE  OF  Obion llSl 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 

TOWN  OF  RICHLAND 1U7 

Richland  Center 1149 

The  Beginning ..  1149 

Business  Development 1151 

Business  Directory    1153 

Industrial  Enterprises 11.56 

Village  GoTcrnment 11.57 

Temperance  Movement 1166 


page. 

Educational 1169 

Religious 1170 

Societies 1173 

CHAPTER  XXX. 

TOWN  OF  RICH  WOOD 1216 

Early  Settlement 1210 

First  Events 1217 

Industrial  Enterprises 1318 

Religious   1219 

Educational 1219 

ViLL.tGE  OF  Port  Andrews 1220 

Village  OF  Excelsior 1221 

CHAPTER  XXXI. 

TOWN  OF  ROCKBRIDGE J237 

Early  Settlement 12:i7 

Organic 1241 

Educational , 1242 

Religious 124;) 

Items  of  Interest 1244 

Village  of  Rockbridge 12U 

CHAPTER  XXXII. 

TOWN  OF  SYLVAN 1200 

Early  Settlement 1260 

Various  Matters i:'.l>i 

Schools 126-i 

Religious 1263 

Organic 1303 

CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

TOWN  OF  WESTFOUD 1268 

Early  Settlement 1268 

First  Events  ..  1270 

Organic        1270 

Educational 1271 

Religious 1271 

Village  OF  Cazenovia 1272 

CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

TOWN  OF  WILLOW 1281 

Early  Settlement 1281 

Educational  1284 

Religious  1383 

Historical  Items 1286 

Village  op  LoYD 1287 

CHAPTER  XXXV. 
EARLV  EVENTS  IN  RICHLAND  COUNTV I:a5 


PORTRAITS. 


page 

Carswell,  John  H 996 

Cai-swell.  Mary  U 99; 

Clark,  H.  J 117' 

Downs,  D    L 1213 


Fogo,  W.  M... 
Gribhle,  Iivin 


page 

. .  1159  James,  D.  G.... 

I 

.  1195,ivmilcr,  Peter. 


page 

. .     845  Miner,  James  H. 


I  Walworth,  John 913 

879iWhitcomb,   Myron 811 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


XI 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


PAOF. 

Aknii.   Willimn lllis! 

Allen.  H.  H 1U'1L> 

Allison.  W    ()..            ll-.'7 

A  Iwoi  111.  Kil  wa  n\  M laiOj 

AndersiU),  .Ahrnhain l».^4 

Andeison.  Diivid..  ]2.')4 


Alliii  rsiin.  Jaoiili 
Andrews.  Thoinus. 
Api)l"It.v.  ,Ijinn.-s    .. 
Atkins,  CHrri    M    . 
Atkinson.  L.  E.~.     . 

Austin,  E.  1' 

Austin,  llinini  


12-.'l 
8:14— siwl 
12711 
IS*! 
125S 
1247 


BHbh.  Goorjre  H. 
Hachti'nIun-iRM-,  James 

liaili  V.  II    T 

Itakf'r,  W     \V 

Ilal-iley,  William  A..  -. 

Itancroft.  .1.  C 

Uarncs,  William  M 

Harron,  W.  C.  S 

Uarn  tt,  Alexander.   .. 

BaxtiT,  L.  W 

Bi-ai-.   D    W 

Behove.   E.  W 

liellville,  C.  U, 

liencicr,  Daniel   

Iteiider.   William 

Bennett,  Geoijfe  E 

Bennett.  .Jaeob 

Henin-tt.  Van  S 

Benton.  Josepil 

Benton,  Geoive  

Benton,  .Ii-.,  .loscph  .. 
Ber^fer.    Philip  Daniel. 

Berr> man.  .1.  H 

lievier.  Zenas  \V 

Ililile,    Moses        

Biektord.  A.  W 

Bills,  .lames  A 

Blaek,  Winfleld   Scott  . 

Bliiek,  O.  K 

Black,  .\le.\antier.   ... 

Blake.  Simon  S 

lioek.  Hugo  N 

Bovee,  Elisba  

Bovce,  Durfoe  

Biiwen,  1".  P 

Boweu.  W..I 

Braee.  Cnr-(ls  E 

ISradv,  .lames       

Jirad:'lia\v,  ,1.  W. 

Brewer,  I*.  E  

Brewer,  I\  S 

Brewer.  It.  K 

BriKt-s.  Ja.v  W.   

Brimer,  B<'?i.iamin  F.  . 

Brimer.  .Jacob 

Ilrimer,  J.  X. 

Britton.  Orrin  I,.  . .. 
BrowTU'lI.    Ben,jamln  B 
Buchanan.  ,lr..    Knbcrt 

Buchanan.  Itobert 

Bnnell.  .Icsse  (i 

Burnhain.   V .  W,  .   . , 

Burnhain.  .1.  W 

Burnham.  Horace  L 
Burwitz.  Cliristian.. 

Itush.  A     H 

Bn-*b.v.  Harry  ... 

Button.  Leonard 

Byrd.  I).  H 


l:;ti5 
!)7!t 

lisw 
lal.-l 
nai 

1007 
1023 
1198 
104; 

131: 
1040 
941 

828 
1047 
1047 
12117 
1U0';1 
834 
!i:i."i 
1247 
1123 
114', 

8ti:i 

10111 
1271! 
1141 
IIKL'l 
8(i0| 
8t!2 
8«l! 
1143 
lOIOi 
1181 
118^ 
118S 
118S 
lOOB: 
H77' 
'.I.SS' 
1103: 
1104, 
lllll 
1021 
114.'. 
Old' 
I>40 
10871 
1203' 

12:it 

12;c; 
12071 
so  I 
1204' 
1101 
114.1 

8:  ill 
.s:t2 
1002 
8:i0 


HAOE 

Carson,  .Alonzo 1220 

Carswell,  George  J   1004 

Carswell.  .John  A lOWi 

Carswell.  ,lohn  H lOOS, 

Carpenter,    JSilas  L     .  12.>i 

Carver,  Itandolph  L 937 

Casey,  F.  P  »4li 

Cass,  George  W 1003 

Cass,  ,James  M 1001 

Cass.  Osnum  - .-             ....  04 1 

Gate.  H.  W 12.W 

Chandler,   I).  O 1180 

Chesemore,  Stephen  W....  1318 

Chishulm,  Ale.\ander 1256 

Clark,  P.  M 12.57 

i  lark,  E.  I) 1230 

Clark.  Homer  J  864 

Clark,  Edmund 1231 

Clark,  J.  S 12:30 

Clarson.  John 12.5.') 

Cleveland,  J    A 1210 

Cline,  Samuel 1291 

Closson,  C.  E 978 

Coates,   W.  H 1232 

Coates,  H.  F 12J2 

Coates,  J.  T..              1232 

Cotlinbcrrv,  J.  W 856 

Collins,   Henry 1184 

Collins,  WillinmF. 1180 

Conner.  Henry           12:i7 

Cook.  Levi  H . .  llOli 

Cooper.  William 1031 

Cornwall.  Horace 1039, 

Coulter.  William 113:> 

I'ouinbe.  J.  Hobert 1231 

Cratsenbersr,  William iO.Mi 

Crawford,  Williau:   830 

Crumbecker,  A.  M 1208; 

CunniUKham,  M.H  B.   ...  12461 

Davis,  John  C 931 

Davis,  Samuel 931 

Davis,  AbijahS 1005 

Davis,  George 1124 

David,  O.  F 1236: 

Dawson,  William  Henry..  1141 

Dedcrich.  Anthony 1102 

DeHart.    Henry  B. 931 

D<  Lap.  It.  H   «i;i 

Deinmer.  .lohn  Henry 114.T 

Dewey.  David  12*1 

DiUKnian.  Jcremiali  1220 

Di.von.  William    1103 

Dobl.s.  Lewi« »7(i 

Dornihoe,  J(thn     1275 

Do,, ley.    William 1136 

r)i,udna.   W.   V ]20fi, 

Doniliia.  Isaac 1126 

Dove.  .lames 1208) 

Dowling.  James 9:34' 

Downs.  D.  L 940, 

Down<.  William  H  ...  IBl 

Dri'ikill,  Oliediah 1206' 

Durnloril.    Alfred 862 

Dunn.  John 1068 

Eastland,  H.  A 86] 

Easllanrl.  A.  C 8.56 

Ka-'tland.  H.W 1199 

Easthuid.  K.  W  801 

Kilwanls.  Thomas  J 087 

Eldreil,  1(.  S 1007 

Elliott,  Joseph 1238 


PAGE. 

Elliett.   Randolph 1236' 

Kllswi,rth.  H.  B 1236 

Ellswnrlh,  J.  S 1:J38 

Ellsworlh.  M.  1)^ 1329 

;Ellsworth,   Thoi^Tas  J 1339 

Ellsworth,   Eli 1011 

Ellsworlh,  Wallace 1011 

Knishoir.  llenrv  1141 

'Ewers,  ,|i.hn 1364 

Ewiuf,  Joshua.  .     .  o:i4 


Fay,  John     1185 

Fcrebee,  Samuel    10:35 

Ferguson,  John  W 1067 

Flamme.    John I14ti 

Fbeknor,  Peter 960, 

Fogo,  ,John Ill 

F(,!ro,  John 9:35 

Fogo,  W  M 965 

Fogo.   George  1346 

Ford,  Nathan 1193 

Fowler,  F.  D 1209 

Fowler,  John 1066 

Fowler.  Allison 1067 

Fowler,   Burgess 1067 

Fowler,  John  W 1007, 

Francis,  William. 1254 


PAflE. 

Hanzlik,   Wenz<'l  J 1278 

Harris,  .\braham 1017 

Harnng,  J.  D jaio 

Harlan.  SaEUuel. 1021 

Harn,  Thomas 1287 

Harl,  John  1120 

Hart,  Lvnian  1126 

Hart,  T    M 1191 

Harfer,  Andrew 1008 

Hart-ihoni.  Dr    940 

Haseliine.  IraS 1183 

Hascltiiie,   Alden 938 

'lascltine,  Hascal 827 


Hawkins,  U.  C  831 

Hayward,  J.  G.  S 9:33 

j  Haseliine,  Oriii I2i5 

Heal,    William  1267 

Herbert.  Joseph 9.SC 

Helm,  John  ii 912 

Hendricks,  Samuel 1257 

Heuthorn,  William 1366 

Hice..  William     1200 


''rnncois,  Jules ]3S,sl 

Freeborn,  S.  1 1091 

Freeman,  .Morris. 1340 

Freeman.  Morris 931 

French.  James  1388 

Fries,  J.  C 1204 

Fries,  A.  S 1304 

Fries,  0.  C 1204 

Fries.  Henrv  W 8:33 

Furev.  William  f 967 

Furey,  W.  P 9:i6 

GarJleld,  William  W 1061 

(iartield,    William  W 9:(4| 

Garner,  E.  S I02I1 

Garner,  J.  W 12:351 

Gault,  Samuel  B 10;t6| 

Ghormlev.  Michael 9:311 

iilasier.  H.  W 1204 

(.ileason.  OtisL 1274 

Gi,ir,  Thonuis WiO 

G<,yer,  Joseph 94:3 

Grafton,  Alexander  B. ...  1105 

Graham,  Charles  1119 

Graham,  Thomas 1118 

Gray,  Enoch 12.5:3 

Greaves,  Bronson 1062 

Grilible.   Irvin S65 

Glim,    \athanii-l 1265 

(Jrover,  Amasa  1089 

Groves,  Samuel  12tW 

G  fosse,   Hernnui  1280 

Guess.  Oliver 1263 

Guess,   Albert  W 1047 

Gunnell.  Thomas 1037 

Hale,  /achariah 9:t:f 

Hall.  Calvin 1367 

Hall.  William  H KKIS 

llallin.  B.  C  ...  1187 

Hamilton,  Hichard  Wade.  1251 
Hamilton,  Herman  T  ..   .  1350 

Hamilton,    Hoswell  It  1017 

Hamilton,  D.  S ..    828 

Haney,  J.W lOox 

Hanson.  Nels 1327 


Higgiubotham,  N. 

Hills,  F.G . 

Hillberry,  George  H  

(Hiilberi'v,  George  

IHiliman,  W.J  ' 

'Hitchcock,  William  A.... 

Hitchcock,  J.  B  

Hoke,   George ] 

Holcoinb.  A  .  Jj  .   ..   . 

Householdei-,  Daniel 

Houts,  O 

Hurless,  Jobe  M. 


1265 

988 
1:;;h 
1037 
1212 
1143 
944 
1090 
1008 
9:34 
941 
985 


Hurless,  Henry  H 10:15 

Huston, .John I0a5 

Hyatt,  Alfred 1194 

Hyatt,  S.  C 1194 

Hyde,  A.P ]245 

Hynek,    Wensel UKi8« 

Irish,  Joseph  E  834 

James,  N.  L 1191 

James  David  G  1192 

James,  George  H 1193 

James,  .\.  G ; 1197 

Jaiuiey,  Lot  P 1115 

Jauney,   William 1115 

Janncy,  Israel 1244 

Janncv,John  F' 1345 

Jaquish,  David  9:10 

Jarvis,  George 861 

Jarvis,  George 1374 

.Ja.\.  John  .M 127S 

Jewell,  John  J  986 

Johns,  G.  A.  ..■ 930 

Johnson.  Sr.,   Isaac 1351 

Johnston,  James 1292 

Jones,    Samuel  IIOO 

Jones.   Hezckinh 114:1 

Jones,  Jcdtuhaa 1189 

Jones,  J.  W 12ai 

Jones,  Warrington 12:11 

.lones,  John  1). 13:t1 

Joslin,  W.  H   1181 

Joslin,  Carlos 1061 

Joslin,  William  H 831 

Kcane,  John 1278 

Kell.v,  John 97B 

ICi'pler,   Henrv  ...   1125 

Keyes,  James  D 1003 

Kincannon,  Marion  M 1226 


XII 


TABLE   OF  CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

Kincaunon,  William  M...  1225 

Kinder,  Peter 1224 

Kiuney,  Thoiiiaa  It:i4 

Kimciii,    Biidiiigton 1250 

KlinVler,  John 1185 

Kiiit-'bt,    Joseph 1201 

Koeh,  Jeremiah lOtifi 

Koeiiig-.  Kev.  Henry 10' 

^vr0U!?kop,  Georg-e 1184 

Krouskop,  Jacob 93;^ 

Krouskop,  William 100;j 

Kuykeadall.  Alfred  ....      10(U 

Lamberson,  J.  G 1090 

Lane.  A.    D 1184 

Larson,  August 1310 

Laws,  James 1140 

Laws.  G.  L 827 

Lawrence,  Fred  B J2 

Lawton,  Isaac  R 1049 

Leather  berry,  Thomas  J..  1063 

Leiber.John, 1292 

Le^vis. James 1142 

Lewis.  Andrew 9:i9 

Le^v'is,  James. . .     860 

Lewis.  William  F. . .   100' 

Lincoln,  O^^car  B 1280 

Lincoln,  Levi  J 1104 

Logan. T,  P 1333 

Logan,  James 1233 

Looker.  Edmund  B 1128 

Long,  Samuel 1003 

Loveless.  A 829 

Lucas,  James 1036 

Lunenschloss,  William. .. .  1097 
Lybrand.J.  W  1200 

McCarthy,  Patrick  H 1060 

McCarthy,  Conelius 936 

McCaskev,Josiah  85' 

McCorkle,  William  1092 


Miller,  William 1030 

Miller,  Jacob  J 1030 

Miller,  George 'Hi 

Miller.R.  M 946 

Millison,  Levi 1264 

Miner,  James  H Si;3 

Minctt.  William Ill 


.Misslich,  William 

Mitchell,  G.  K 946 

Moody.E.  L 8:e 

Moody,Joseph 1277 

Moore,C.  J  12.35 

Moore,R.  S 1009 

-Moon,  Joseph : . .  1123 

Morrison,  Henr.y  J 1003 

Moyes,  James 12V9 

Muhler, George..   10.50 

Mubler,  Jr. ,  Amadeus 1050 

Munson,  Oliver  G 1210 


PAGE 

Kiec,  Daniel 1186 

Richards,  William 1131 

Rizer,  John  H 977 

Rolierts,  Jehiel  W 1293 

Hobinson,  William  1033 

Hotiiiison,  William 1018 

Ki'l.ilisoti.  Hiiirv 1019 


lli'.lN  Hnl.iii^.iii.  \Villi:nii  F  -.-.     1019 

Uo.lolph.  FriMik  G 1030 

Rodolph,  Charles  G 859 

Rogers,  Salma 1048 

Rose,  Sidney 1185 

Ross,  W.  D.  S 1201 

Ross,  0 1334 

Roth.  George  F 1040 

iiunimery.  Thomas  J 1039 

Kunyan,  Levi 1008 

Rulau,  John 827 


McCorkle,  C .  .M 829 

McCorkle,  Joseph  C  1103 

McCulhim,  J.  L.  H 1088 

McCollum,  Asa lOSS 

McCord,B.  F 988 

McDonald,  Daniel 1250 

McGrew,  J.  B 11: 

McKay,  R.  N 1311 

McKee,  J.  L  1186 

MoMahan, Isaac 936 

McMillan,  Samuel  938 

McMurtrie,  Joseph 833 

McMurtrey,  Lee 1207 

McNelly.  Henry 940 

McNurlen.  William 1005 

Mainwaring,  John  ...   .      1140 
Manning.ErasmusDarwin  1038 

Manchester,  T.  A 1042 

Manlev.Menzies  Phelps      1095 

MarshiS.  B 1231 

Marshall.  Joseph  1115 

Marshall,  George  L  Ill" 

Martin,  James  1199 

Mark  ham.  Edward 1292 

Mason,  Thomas 1063 

Mason,  James  Edward 1063 

Mathews,  Hubert 1034 

Malh'ws, Thomas  1135 

Matthews,  John  J 831 

Ma  vfield,  David :....  1137 

Mayfleld,  Green ,.  1137 

Meeker,  John  A  1060 

Meeker,  Robert  Douglas,.  1066 

Merrill,  Henty ...  1124 

Mickel,George  N 1290 

Miller,  Abrara 1143 

Miller,  John 1144 

Miller,  Henry 1227 


.Munson,  Martin 

. . . .     9  '4 

Murray,  William 

....  1391 

.Murphy,  Daniel 

...   1287 

Murphy,  Edward  .   -. 

....  12.-.3 

Murphy.  Michael 

....     SU4 

Neefe,  Charles  A 

....     986 

Neff,  Alberts 

....   10113 

Newburn   Jeremiah  B....  UWt  ^,.,)iindt,  FrederickC. 

Nicliols    D  P..     It"':  Schuruu  n,  William 

.\oble,  WjlliamJ 1115  •  .  .  ■    - 

Noble,Daniel 1121 

>f oble,  Samuel 1334 

Norman,    Sr.,  George 1064 

Norman,  George 1064 

Norman,  Caleb  H 1064 

Norman 


Sttltsman,   WilUam 1126 

alisburv,  John 1389 

Sands.  John  G 1359 

Sanfont,  Frank 1309 

Sargent,  George  L 1011 

Scholl,  ClnistDpher.. 1358 

Srlmiitz,  Mathias  Joseph.  1105 

Seliniitz,   Mrs.  M.J 1105 

1144 
1182 

Scott,  John  S 1352 

Sellers,  James  A  985 

Se.\ton,  E.  M 8.5' 

Sexton.  Morris  931 

Shaffer.  John -   .  1037 

Shambaugh.  Adam 941 


.loshuaJ W^f  Sherman,  Frederick IKiS 

Norman.  J -imes OWI^ijcrman,  M.  L 1207 

Nourse,  Elijah lyi'?  Shireman,  Ammi 1191 


Nudd,  Amos 859 

Ogden,  William 1263 

~   "  1104 

1050 

829 
1068 


Ostrander,  D.  B.. 
Ott,  Isaac  G.  B 

Page,  Andrew  J 

Palmer,  Oswald 

Palmer,  L.  B 

Partrey,  Edward 

Paifrey,  A.  0 

Parsons,  DavidE 

Parsons,  Thomas 

Patch,  Francis  M 

Pease,  Myron  C 

Pease,  E 

Peckhara,  Levi 

Pecknam.  W.  R 

Pepin,  Cleophus 

Persinger,  Levi 

Phoenix,   Ludger 

Pickard,  W.  J 

Pickard,  S.  W  

Pickering,   William... 

Pierce,  Converse    

Pierson,  Charles  B  ... 

Powell,  Joseph 

Pratt,  Richard . 

Pratt.  \V.  E  

Priest,  Henry 

Priest,  Daniel  B 


Shontz,  John  A 1098 

Shookman  Philip 1258 

Schuerman,  Henry 1139 

Sigrist,  Henry 1139 

Simons,  Jacob  931 


Simpson,  William., 
i^ipp.v,  Joseph  — 
834isires,  Alexander. 

1306  stater,  (ieorge 

13iii;  Slaughter,  A.  B  . 

831  .-^l.ieuin,  C.  W 

313.j;smith,  B.N.. 


1099 
1093 

930 
1032 

828 
1315 
1311 
1020 
1097 
12U 
1099 
1138 
1135 
1249 
1266 

8:30 


1017  Smith,  Frank  O. 
936  Smith,  Mathias  M.. 

1305  Smith,  Whitney 

1134  Smith.  IsuacO 

SSu^Smith,  Philip 

1050  Smith,  John 

1228  Smith,  .Vngus 

1275  Smith,  David 

1193Smith,   0.  H 

lli'7;smith,  Henry  J 934 

1034  Smith,  Edward. 1234 

1279. Smith,  Jerry  A 
S'O  Smyth.  John  H  1291 

1032  Snow,  Daniel 125-, 

1-53  Soule.  James  J u.^o 

1301  Southard,  Ransom  E 1087 

"I  Southard,  James 108' 

858  Spaugler,  GeorgeL 1308 

Stayton,  John .     .   1347 

Stewart,  R.  B 1287 

Stewart,  Mahlon 987 

Stewart,  J.imes  H 988 

Stewart,  Charles  D 860 

Stevenson,  F.  M 12,59 

Stockton,  J.  C 1188 

Storms,  Daniel 1197 

]0."..«'>ituwi-ll,  Anson 106.'' 

louii  stockwell,  Robert  M 1065 


PAGE. 

Strang,  George  H 1310 

Straight.  Albert  J 1354 

Stratton,  A.  M...  132!i 

Stroud.  A.  E 861 

Stuart,  Charles 1256 

Surrem,  JohnE 1031 

Sutton,  K 865 

Sweet,  W.S 864 

ladder,  German .    938 

Telfair,  Byron  W 857 

relfair,  R.  L 945 

Thomas,   L.  G 1006 

Thomas,  J.  M 1102 

Thompson,  A.  P 8.57 

Thorp,  L.  M 1337 

Tinker,  Allen 1376 

Toms,  Henry 1204 

Totton,  Jonathan 936 

Towsley.  A.  W 1009 

Tracy,  Lucius 1089 

Travers,  .\rthur  W 1065 

Travers,    H  enry 1065 

Truesdale,  John 1127 

Tubbs,  R.  A 1049 

Turgasen,  .lohu 975 

Turner,  Jonathan 1049 


VanDuscn,  Lawrence. 
Van  Pool.  Jacob 


a59 
1030 


Queen,  Benjamin  W.. 

Ragles,  .\b'-l 

Randall,  Miles., 

Reagles,  Ezra 

Reeob,  William 

Recob,  William.. 

Rcnick,  Lattiraore 

Reynolds,  Jctterson  J iiu„„,i ».,  m^, 

Rhodes,  Joseph  H       1007, Stoddard,  Valentine 128 


1119 

1100 
931 

1291 
937 

1034 


Waddell,  John 1183 

Waggoner,  Peter 13.56 

Waggoner,  Caleb 1189 

Waggoner,  William  J 1049 

Walworth.  John 1301 

Wail  H.  J 946 

Wallace,  John 1003 

Wal  lace  David 938 

Walker,  J.  F 1197 

Waller,   George  W  ...         1040 

Walser,  Henry  T 1068 

Walser,  Hiram  H 1068 

Wanless,  Archibald 1120 

Ward,  Edgiir 979 

Washburn,  James 1358 

Washburn,  B.  F 1235 

Watt,   James  1266 

Webb,   Robert ; 978 

Weldy.  James  D 1038 

Wenker,    Sebastian 1379 

Welton,  Hiram 833 

Weltoii,  0    S 12.51 

West,  Edward   1376 

West,  Moses  B 1349 

Wheaton,    Theodore 1041 

Wherry,  Demas 10(33 

Whitcomb,  C.  U 1224 

Vv'hitcomb,  Myron 1225 

Whitcraft,  Thomas  J 1190 

White,  George  C 8:il 

White,   Marvin  838 

Wildermuth,  David 1289 

Wilev,  William 1356 

Willis,  John  W 1394 

Wilson.  John  S ...    859 

Wiltrout,  Adam  A 1048 

Winn,   John 1193 

Winterburn,  Benjamin...  1101 

Winton,  Nathan 1332 

Wolf,  Abraham 1009 

Wright,  T.  J 1191 

Wright,  .luhn   1388 

Wright,  J.  0 947 

Wright,    W.  C 86 1 

Wulting,    E.  C 861 

Wulting,    William     1182 


Young,  E.  P. 


930 


Certificates  of  Crawford  and  Richland  Counties. 


We  the  undersignei  members  of  the  committee  appointed  to  revise  and  correct  the  General  History  of  (  rnwford 
County.  Wisconsin,  do  hereby  certify  that  the  manuscript  of  said  history  was  S'lhmitted  to  us  and  that  we  made  all  the 
ehansres  and  additions  that  wo,  in  oiir  judx-ment,  deemed  necessary:  and  as  corrected,  we  are  satislled  with  and  approve 
the  same.  Prairie  du  Chien,  Jan.  29.  1884.  [Signed.]  Wm.  T.  sterling,         1 

B.  W.  lirisbois,  I 

James  Fisher  I 

John  H.  Tower,  J  Committee. 

Wm.   I).  Merrell. 
Alexander  M.  Beach, 
John  R.  Hurlbut, 


We  the  undersigned  committee  appointed   for  the  purpose  of  correcting  the  History  of  our  respective  towns  for  the 
tory  .)f  Crawford  County,   hereby  eerlity  that  the  manu-<cript  has  been  read  to  us,   and  that  to  the  best  of  our  recoUec- 


IIi-_     „      _     _ ,.   ... 

tion,  with  the  corrections  arid  additions  we  have  made,  the  same  is  a  correct  history. 


H.  C.  King, 

H.  Barrette, 

Mrs.  Lydia  Atherton. 

Bridycimrt . 

G.  A.  Smith, 
C.  W.  Baker. 


Z.  Beach, 

James  Fisher, 
A.  N.  Hazen. 


CUiylim, 


Kcmlman . 


John  H.  Tower, 
Henry  Eibret. 


W.  D.  C.  Lewis, 
J.  N.  Kast. 


Freeman, 


Samuel   A.  Clark, 
John  Folsom, 
T.  A.  Savage. 

Prairie  du  Chicn. 


nancy. 


S.  L.  Wannomaker, 
S.  S.  Kerrel, 
J.  M.  Callaway. 


Marietta . 


J.  H.  Hurlbut, 
Chancey  Kast, 
Charles  Coalburn. 


Scott. 


Edward  Garvey. 
Samuel  Armstrong. 


James  .\.  Cnrran, 
William  T.  Sterlinj; 


Kalph  Smith. 
Mrs.  K.  Smith. 


Srucca . 


Utica. 


fVauzcha. 


We,  the  undersigned,  members  of  the  committee  appointed  to  re\nse  and  correct  the  general  chapters  of  the  History  of 
Richland  county,  Wisconsin,  compiled  bv  the  Union  I'ulilishing  Company  of  Sprins-llcld,  Illinois,  hereby  certify  that  the 
saiil  manuscript  was  submilled  to  us;  that  wc  examined  aTid  hoard  the  same  read,  and  that  we  have  made  all  thechanges, 
corrections  and  additions  tliat  wi'  in  our  judgment  and  to  the  best  o(  our  rccollecti<jn  deem  necessary,  and  as  corrected  we 
are  satistled  with  and  approve  of  the  same. 

Richland  Center,  Jan.  8,  1884.  [Signed.!  D.  I,.  Downs. 

James  H.  Miner, 

J.  M.  Thonms,       ycommittee. 

R.  M.  Miller. 

Israel  Janney. 


1 


ico 


Jns.  Bnchtenkirchor, 
James   Brad.v, 
John  Torgerson. 

Akan. 

Wm.  Pi/.er, 
J.  M.  Hurless, 
D.  V.  DeHart. 

Ol'iom. 

Samuel  Long, 
J.  W.  Fuller, 
L.  G.  Thomas. 

Buena  Vista. 

J.  T.  Barnes, 
Jacob  Berger. 

Dayton. 

J.  n.  Newliurn, 
George  Miller, 
William  Robinson. 

Eagle. 


Salma  Rogers, 
h.  Clift. 

Forest. 

L.  Renick. 
J.  M.  Garfield. 
P.  H.  McCarthy. 

Henrietta. 


William  Dixon, 
C.  G.  Thomas, 
Peter  A.  Micklc, 
E.  Devoe. 

RJtaca. 


Daniel  Noble. 
Archibald  Wanless. 
W.  F.  Kepler. 

MargliaU. 


Thomas  Mathews. 
William  Doolc.v, 
H  enry  Sigrist. 

Orion . 


James  H.  Miner, 
David  G.  James. 
D.  Strickland, 
David  Mayfiold. 
Richland 


Samuel  Noble, 
R.  M.  Miller, 
Joseph  Elliott. 

Rich  wood. 


Abel  P.  Hyde, 
George  Fogo, 
J.  S.  Scott. 

Riickltriil^ic . 


Asahel  Savage. 
Geo.  H.  Babb. 
N.  Grim. 


.■^(/Imii- 


.Tohn  Donahoe. 
A.  Tinker, 
Moses  Bible. 

frr.sl  fori) . 


James  French. 
R.  B.  Stewart. 
V.  Stoddard. 


ITiil.iic. 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


^ 


CHAPTER     I. 


PRE-HISTORIC  AND  SETTLEMENT. 


AT  a  remote  period  there  lived  in  this  coun- 
try a  people  now  desi<fnated  mound  build- 
ers. Of  their  origin  nothing  is  known.  Their 
liistory  is  lost  in  the  lapse  of  ages.  The  evi- 
dences, however,  of  their  existence  in  Wiscon- 
sin and  surrounding  States  are  numerous. 
Many  of  their  earth  works — the  so-called 
mounds — are  still  to  be  seen.  These  are  of 
various  forms.  Some  are  regularly  arranged, 
forming  squares,  octagons  and  circ'es;  others  are 
like  walls  or  ramparts;  while  many,  especially 
in  Wisconsin,  are  imitative  in  figure,  having 
tlie  shape  of  implements  or  animals,  resembling 
war  clubs,  tobacco  pipes,  beasts,  reptiles,  fish 
and  even  man.  A  few  are  in  the  similitude  of 
trees. 

In  selecting  sites  for  many  of  their  earth 
works,  the  mound-buililiTs  appear  to  liave  been 
influenced  by  motives  which  prompt  civilized 
men  to  choose  localities  for  tlieir  great  marts; 
hence,  Milwaukee  and  other  cities  of  the 
west  are  founded  on  ruins  of  pre-existing  struc- 
tures.    River  terraces  and  river  bottoms  seem 


to  have  been  favorite  places  for  these  mounds. 
Their  works  are  seen  in  the  basin  of  the  Fox 
river,  of  the  Illinois,  and  of  Rock  river  and  its 
branches,  also  in  the  valley  of  the  Fox  river  of 
Green  bay,  in  that  of  the  Wisconsin,  as  well  as 
near  the  waters  of  the  Mississippi.  As  to  the 
object  of  these  earth  works,  all  knowledge  rests 
upon  conjecture  alone.  It  is  generally  believed 
that  some  were  used  for  purposes  of  defense, 
others  for  the  observance  of  religious  rites  and 
as  burial  places. 

In  some  parts  of  Wisconsin  are  seen  earth 
works  of  a  different  character  from  those  usu- 
ally denominated  "mounds."  These,  from  their 
supposed  use,  are  styled  "garden  beds."  They 
are  ridges  or  beds  about  six  inches  in  height, 
and  four  feet  in  width.  They  are  arranged 
methodically  and  in  parallel  rows.  Some  are 
rectangular  in  shape;  others  are  in  regular 
curves.  Tliese  beds  occupy  fields  of  various 
sizes,  from  ten  to  a  hundred  acres. 

The  mound  builders  have  left  other  evidences 
besides  mounds  and  garden  beds,  to  attest  their 


18 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


presence  in  this  country,  in  ages  past.  In  tiie 
Lake  Superior  region  exist  ancient  copper 
mines,  excavations  in  the  solid  rock.  In  these 
mines  have  been  found  stone  hammers,  wooden 
bowls  and  shovels,  props  and  levers  for  raising 
and  supporting  m.a88  copper,  and  ladders  for 
descending  into  the  pits  and  ascending  from 
them. 

There  are,  also,  scattered  widely  over  the 
country,  numerous  relics,  evidently  the  handi- 
work of  these  pre-historic  people;  such  as  stone 
axes,  stone  and  copper  spear-heads  and  arrow 
heads,  and  various  other  implements  and  uten- 
sils. As  these  articles  are  frequently  discov- 
ered many  feet  below  the  surface  of  the  ground, 
it  argues  a  high  antiquity  for  the  artificers. 
These  relics  indicate  that  the  mound  builders 
were  superior  in  intelligence  to  the  Indians. 
None  of  their  implements  or  utensils,  however, 
point  to  a  "copper  age"  as  having  succeeded  a 
"stone  age."  They  all  refer  alike  to  one  age, 
the  indefinite  past;  to  one  people,  the  mound 
builders. 

There  is  nothing  to  connect  "the  dark  back- 
ward and  abysm"  of  mound-buildiug  times  with 
those  of  the  red  race  of  Wisconsin.  And  all 
that  is  known  of  the  savages  inhabiting  this 
section  previous  to  its  discovery,  is  exceedingly 
dim  and  shadowy.  Upon  the  extended  area 
bounded  by  Lake  Superior  on  the  north.  Lake 
Michigan  on  the  east,  wide-spreading  prairies 
on  the  south,  and  the  Mississippi  river  on  the 
west,  there  met  and  mingled  two  distinct  In- 
dian families,  Algonquins  and  Dakotas.  Con- 
cerning the  various  tribes  of  these  families, 
nothing  of  importance  could  be  gleaned  by  the 
earliest  explorers;  at  least,  vei'y  little  has  been 
preserved.  Tradition,  it  is  true,  pointed  to  the 
Algonquins  as  having,  at  some  remote  period, 
migrated  from  the  east,  and  this  has  been  con- 
firmed by  a  study  of  their  language.  It  indi- 
cated, also,  that  the  Dakotas,  at  a  time  far  be- 
yond the  memory  of  the  most  aged,  came  from 
the  west  or  southwest,  fighting  their  way  as 
they  came;  that  one   of  their  tribes  once  dwelt 


upon  the  shores  of  a  sea;  but  when  and  for 
what  purpose  they  left  their  home  for  the 
country  of  the  great  lakes  there  was  no  evi- 
dence. This  was  all.  In  reality,  therefore, 
Wisconsin  has  no  veritable  history  ante-dating 
its  discovery  by  civilized  man.  The  country 
has  been  heard  of,  but  only  through  vague  re- 
ports of  savages.*  There  were  no  accounts  at 
all,  besides  these,  of  the  extensive  region  of 
the  upjjer  lakes;  while  of  the  valley  of  the 
upper  Mississippi,  nothing  whatever  was  known. 

FIRST   EXPLORATION    OF    THE    NORTHWBST. 

The  history  of  Wisconsin  commences  with 
the  recital  of  the  indomitable  perseverance  and 
heroic  bravery  displayed  by  its  first  visitant, 
John  Nicolet.  An  investigation  of  the  career 
of  this  Frenchman  shows  him,  at  an  early  age, 
leaving  his  home  in  Normandy  for  the  new 
world,  landing  at  Quebec  in  1618,  and  at  once 
seeking  a  residence  among  the  Algonquins  of 
the  Ottawa  river,  in  Canada,  sent  thither  by 
the  governor  to  learn  their  language.  In  the 
midst  of  many  hardships,  and  surrounded  by 
perils,  he  applied  himself  with  great  zeal  to 
his  task.  Having  become  familiar  with  the 
Algonquin  tongue,  he  was  admitted  into  the 
councils  of  the  savages. 

The  return  of  Nicolet  to  civilization,  after  a 
number  of  years  immured  in  the  dark  forests  of 
Canada,  an  excellent  interpreter,  qualified  hini 
to  act  as  government  agent  among  the  wild 
western  tribes  in  promoting  peace,  to  the  end 
that  all  who  had  been  visited  by  the  fur-trader 
might  remain  firm  allies  of  the  French.  Nay, 
further:  it  resulted  in  his  being  dispatched  to 
Nations  far  beyond  the  Ottawa,  known  only  by 
heresay,  with  whom  it  was  believed  might  be 
opened  a  profila'  le  trade  in  furs.  So  he  started 
on  his  perilous  voyage.  He  visited  the  Hurons, 
upon  the  Georgian  bay.  With  seven  of  that 
Nation,  he  struck  boldly  into  wilds  to  the  north- 
ward and  westward  never  before  visited  by  civ- 
ilized man.     He  paddled  his  birch  canoe   along 

•Compare  Champlaiu'8  Voyages,  1632,  and  his  map  of  that 
date;  Sagard's,  Histoire  du  Canada:  he  Jeune  Relation,  1633. 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


19 


the  eastern  coast  of  Lake  Huron  and  up  the  St. 
Mary's  Strait  to  the  falls.  He  floated  back  to 
the  Straits  of  Mackinaw,  and  courageously 
turned  his  face  toward  the  west.  At  the  Sault  de 
Ste.  Marie,  he  had — the  first  of  white  men — set 
foot  upon  the  soil  of  the  northwest. 

Nicolet  coasted  along  the  northern  shore  of 
Lake  Michigan,  ascended  Green  Bay,  and  finally 
entered  the  mouth  of  Fo.x  river.  It  was  not 
until  he  and  his  swarthy  Hurons  had  urged  their 
frail  canoes  six  days  up  that  streain,  that  his 
western  exploration  was  ended.  He  had,  mean- 
while, on  his  way  hither,  visited  a  number  of 
tribes;  some  that  had  never  before  been  heard 
of  by  the  French  upon  the  St.  Lawrence. 
With  them  all  he  smoked  the  pipe  of  peace; 
with  the  ancestors  of  the  present  Cbippewas, 
at  the  Sault;  with  the  Menomonees,theWinneba- 
goes,  the  Mascoutins,  in  what  is  now  the  State 
of  Wisconsin;  with  the  Ottawas,  upon  the  Man- 
itoulin  Islands, and  the  Nez  Ferces, upon  the  east 
coast  of  Lake  Huron.  He  made  his  outward 
voyage  in  the  summer  and  fall  of  16.34,  and  re- 
turned the  next  year  to  the  St.  Lawrence.  He 
did  not  reach  the  Wisconsin  river,  but  heard 
of  a  "great  water"  to  the  westward,  which  he 
mistook  for  the  sea.  It  was,  in  fact,  that  stream, 
and  the  Mississippi,  into  which  it  pours  its 
flood. 

"History  cannot  refrain  from  saluting  Nicolet 
as  a  distinguished  traveler,  who,  by  his  explora- 
tions in  the  northwest,  has  given  clear  proofs 
of  his  energetic  character,  and  whose  merits 
have  not  been  disputed,  although,  subsequently, 
they  were  temporarily  forgotten."  The  first 
fruits  of  his  daring  were  gathered  by  the  Jesuit 
fathers,  even  before  his  death;  for,  in  the  autumn 
of  1641,  those  of  them  who  were  among  the 
Hurons  at  the  head  of  the  Georgian  bay  of 
Lake  Huron,  received  a  deputation  of  Indians 
occupying  the  "country  around  a  rapid  [now 
known  as  the  'Sault  de  Ste.  Marie'],  in  the  midst 
of  the  channel  by  wliich  Lake  Superior  empties 
into  Lake  Huron,"  inviting  them  to  visit  their 
tribe.     These  "missionaries  were  not  displeased 


with  the  opportunity  thus  presented  of  knowing 
the  countries  lying  beyond  Lake  Huron,  which 
no  one  of  them  had  yet  traveled;"  so  Isaac 
Jogues  and  Charles  Raymbault  were  detached 
to  accompany  the  Chippewa  deputies,  and  view 
the  field  simply,  not  to  establish  a  mission. 
They  passed  along  the  shore  of  Lake  Huron, 
northward,  and  pushed  as  far  up  St.  Mary's 
strait  as  the  Sault,  which  they  reached  after 
seventeen  days'  sail  from  their  place  of  starting. 
There  they — the  first  white  men  to  visit  the 
northwest  after  Nicolet — harrangued  2,000 
Cbippewas  and  other  Algonquins.  Upon  their 
return  to  the  St.  Lawrence,  Jogues  was  captured 
by  the  Iroquois,  and  Kaymbault  died  on  the 
22d  of  October,  1642, — a  few  days  before  the 
death  of  Nicolet.* 

WISCONSIN  VISITED  BY  FUR  TRADERS    AND    JKS0IT 
MISSIONARIES. 

Very  faint,  indeed,  are  the  gleams  W'hich 
break  in  upon  the  darkness  surrounding  our 
knowledge  of  events  immediately  following  the 
visit  of  Nicolet,  in  what  is  now  the  State  of 
Wisconsin.  That  the  Winnebagoes,  soon  after 
his  return,  made  war  upon  the  Nez  Perces,  kill- 
ing two  of  their  men,  of  whom  they  made  a 
feast,  we  are  assured.*  We  also  know  that  in 
1640,  these  same  Winnebagoes  were  nearly  all 
destroyed  by  the  Illinois  ;  and  that  the  next 
year,  the  Pottawattamies  took  refuge  from  their 
homes  upon  the  islands  at  the  mouth  of  Green 
bay,  with  the  Cbippewas. f  This  is  all.  And 
had  it  not  been  for  the  greed  of  the  fur  trader 
and  the  zeal  of  the  Jesuit,  little  more, 
for  many  years,  probably,  would  have  been 
learned  of  the  northwest.  However,  a  ques- 
tioning missionary,  took  from  the  lips  of  an 
Indian  captainj  "an  account  of  his  having,  in 
the  month  of  June,  1658,  set  out  from  Green 
Bay  for  the  north,  passing  tiie  rest  of  the  sum- 
mer and  the  following   winter  near  Lake  Supe- 

*  History  of  tlic  di-^covcry  of  tlie  uortliwest  by  John  Nico- 
let in  lti;)4,  with  a  skctcti  ol  his  life,  by  C,  W.  Uutterfleld, 
Cincinniiti.     tiobertClarlte  &Co.,  1881. 

•LeJoune,  Kelation,  llilifl. 

tCol.  Hist.  New  Yoric  ix,  161. 

i  Not  '  'captive, "  as  some  local  histories  hare  It. 


go 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


rior  ;  so  called  iu  consequence  of  being  above 
that  of  Lake  Huron.  Thia  Indian  informed  the 
Jesuit  of  the  havoc  and  desolation  of  the  Iro- 
quois war  in  the  west ;  how  it  had  reduced  the 
Algonquin  Nations  about  Lake  Superior  and 
Green  bay.  The  same  missionary  saw  at  Que- 
bec, two  Frenchmen  who  had  just  arrived 
from  the  upper  countries  with  300  Algon- 
quins  in  sixty  canoes,  laden  with  peltries.  These 
fur  traders  had  passed  the  winter  of  1659  on  the 
shores  of  Lake  Superior,  during  which  time  they 
made  several  trips  among  the  surrounding 
tribes.  In  their  wanderings  they  probably  vis- 
ited some  of  the  northern  parts  of  what  is 
now  Wisconsin.  They  saw  at  six  days'  jour- 
ney beyond  the  lake  toward  the  southwest, 
a  tribe  composed  of  the  remainder  of  the  Hurons 
of  the  Tobacco  Nation,  compelled  by  the 
Iroquois  to  abandon  Mackinaw  and  to  bury 
themselves  thus  deep  in  the  forests,  that  they 
could  not  be  found  by  their  enemies.  The  two 
traders  told  the  tales  they  had  heard  of  the 
ferocious  Sioux,  and  of  a  great  river  upon  which 
they  dwelt — the  great  water  of  Nicolet.  Thus 
a  knowledge  of  the  Mississippi  began  to  dawn 
again  upon  the  civilized  world."* 

The  narratives  of  the  Indian  captain  and  the 
two  Frenchmen  induced  further  exploration  two 
years  later  when  Father  Rene  Menard  attempted 
to  found  a  mission  on  Lake  Superior,  with  eight 
Frenchmen  and  some  Ottawas.  He  made  his 
way  in  1660  to  what  is  now  Keweenaw,  Mich. 
He  determined  while  there  to  visit  some  Hu- 
rons on  the  islands  at  the  mouth  of  Green  bay. 
He  sent  three  of  his  companions  to  explore  the 
way.  They  reached  those  islands  by  way  of 
the  Menominee  river,  returning  to  Keweenaw 
with  discouraging  accounts.  But  Menard  re- 
solved to  undertake  the  journey,  starting  from 
the  lake  with  one  white  companion  and  some 
Hurons  ;  he  perished,  however,  in  the  forest,  in 
what  manner  is  not  known,  his  companion 
reaching  the  Green  bay  islands  in  safety. 
White  men  had  floated  upon    the    Menominee, 

*  History  Northern  Wisconsin,  p.  39, 


SO  that  the  northeastern  part  of  what  is  now 
Wisconsin,  as  wellas  its  interior  by'Nicolet  in 
1 634,  had  now  been  seen  by  civilized  white  manf. 

FOUNDING  OF  .JESUIT  MISSIONS  IN  WISCONSIN, 

In  August,  1665,  Father  Claude  Allouez 
embarked  on  a  mission  to  the  country  visited 
by  Menard.  Early  in  September  he  had 
reached  the  Sault  de  Ste.  Marie,  and  on  the 
first  day  of  October,  arrived  in  the  bay  of 
Chegoiraegon,  at  a  village  of  Chippewas. 
Here  he  erected  a  chapel  of  bark,  establishing 
the  first  mission  in  what  is  now  Wisconsin 
to  which  he  gave  the  name  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
While  Allouez  had  charge  of  this  field,  he 
either  visited  or  saw,  at  Chegoimegon,  scattered 
bands  of  Hurons  and  Ottawas  ;  also  Pottawat- 
tamies  from  Lake  Michigan,  and  the  Sacs  and 
Foxes,  who  lived  upon  the  waters  of  Fox  river 
of  Green  bay.  He  was  likewise  visited  by  the 
Illinois,  and  at  the  extremity  of  Lake  Superior 
he  met  representatives  of  the  Sioux.  These 
declared  they  dwelt  on  the  banks  of  the  river 
"Messipi."  Father  James  Marquette  reached 
Chegoimegon  in  September,  1 669,  and  took 
charge  of  the  mission  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
Allouez  proceeding  to  the  Sault  de  Ste.  Marie, 
intending  to  establish  a  mission  on  the  shores 
of  Green  bay.  He  left  the  Sault  Nov,  :!,  1669, 
and  on  the  25th,  reached  a  Pottawattamie  cabin. 
On  the  2d  of  December  he  founded  upon  the 
shore  of  Green  bay  the  mission  of  St.  Francis 
Xavier,  the  second  one  established  by  him 
within  what  are  now  the  limits  of  Wisconsin. 
Here  Allouez  passed  the  winter.  In  April, 
1670,  he  founded  another  mission  ;  this  one 
was  upon  Wolf  river,  a  tributary  of  the  Fox 
river  of  Green  bay.  Here  the  missionary 
labored  among  the  Foxes,  who  had  located  upon 
that  stream.  The  mission,  the  third  in  the 
present  Wisconsin,  he  called  St.  Mark. 

In  1671  Father  Louis  Andre  was  sent  to  the 
missions  of  St.  Francis  Xavier  and  St.  Mark,  as 
a  co-worker  with  Allouez.     At  what  is  now  the 

t  Bancroft,  in  his  History  of  United  States,   evidently  mis- 
takes the  course  pursued  from  Keweenaw,  by  Menard. 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


21 


village  of  DePere,  Brown  Co.,  "Wis.,  was  located 
the  central  station  of  the  mi.ssion  of  St.  Francis 
Xavier.  This  mission  included  all  the  tribes 
inhabiting  the  vicinity  of  Green  bay.  A  rude 
cha]iel,  the  third  one  within  the  present  limits 
of  Wisconsin,  was  soon  erected.  Allouez  then 
left  for  other  fields  of  labor ;  but  Andre  re- 
mained here,  working  with  zeal  during  the 
summer  of  1671.  However,  during  a  temporary 
absence  his  chapel  was  burned,  but  he  speedily 
erected  another.  Then  his  dwelling  was  de- 
stroyed, but  although  he  erected  another,  it 
soon  shared  the  same  fate.  He  was  at  this 
time  laboring  among  the  Menomonees.  When 
he  finally  left  "the  bay  tribes"  is  not  known. 
In  1076  Father  Charles  Albanel  was  stationed 
at  wiiatis  now  DePere,  where  a  new  and  better 
chapel  was  erected  than  the  one  left  by  Andre. 
In  1680  the  mission  was  supplied  by  Father 
James  Eryalran,  who  was  recalled  in  1687. 
When  he  left,  his  house  and  chapel  were  burned 
by  the  Winnebagoes.  It  was  the  end  of  the 
mission  of  St.  Francis  Xavier.  The  mission  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  was  deserted  by  Father  James 
Marquette  in  1671.  It  was  the  end  for  170 
years  of  a  Konian  Catholic  mission  at  Che- 
goimegon. 

WISCO.NSIN    UNDKK    KIJENCII    DOMINATIO.N. 

In  the  year  1671,  France  took  formal  posses- 
sion of  the  whole  country  of  the  upper  lakes.  An 
agent,  Dauniont  de  St.  Liisson,  was  dispatched 
to  tlie  distant  tribes,  pi'oposing  a  congress  of 
Indian  Nations  at  the  Falls  of  St.  Mary,  between 
Lake  Huron  and  Lake  Superior.  The  principal 
chiefs  of  the  Wisconsin  tribes  were  gathered 
there  by  Nicholas  Perrot.  When  all  were  assem- 
bled, it  was  solemnly  announced  that  the  great 
northwest  was  placed  under  tlie  protection  of 
the  French  government.  Tiiis  was  the  begin- 
ning of  French  domination  in  what  is  now  Wis- 
consin. Tile  act  of  Dauniont  de  St.  Lusson,  at 
the  Falls  of  St.  Mary,  in  1071,  in  establishing 
the  right  of  France  to  tlie  regions  beyond  Lake 
Michigan,  not  being  regarded  as  sufficiently  def- 
inite, Nicholas  Perrot,  in   1689,  at  the  head  of 


Green  bay,  again  took  possession  of  the  country, 
extending  the  dominion  of  New  France,  not  only 
over  the  territory  of  the  upper  Mississippi,  but 
'•to  other  places  more  remote;"  so  that  then,  all 
that  is  now  included  within  the  boundaries  of 
the  State  of  Wisconsin  (and  much  more)  passed 
quietly  into  the  possession  of  the  French  king. 

No  fur-trader  or  missionary,  no  white  man, 
had  as  yet  reached  the  Mississippi  above  the 
mouth  of  the  Illinois  river.  But  the  time  for 
its  exploration  was  at  hand.  Civilized  men  were 
now  to  behold  its  vast  tribute  rolling  onward 
toward  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  These  men  were 
Louis  Joliet  and  James  Marquette.  Jolietcame 
from  Quebec,  having  been  appointed  by  the  gov- 
ernment to  "discover"  the  Mississippi.  He  found 
Mar(juette  on  the  north  side  of  the  straits  of 
Mackinaw,  laboring  as  a  missionary  among  the 
Indians.  The  latter  was  solicited  and  readily 
agreed  to  accompany  Joliet  upon  his  expedition.* 
The  outfit  of  the  party  was  very  simple:  two 
birch-bark  canoes  and  a  supply  of  smoked  meat 
and  Indian  corn.  They  had  with  them  five 
white  men.  They  began  their  voyage  on  the 
I7thday  of  May,  1673.  Passing  into  Lake  Mich- 
igan, they  coasted  along  its  northern  shore,  and 
paddled  their  canoes  up  Green  bay  and  Fox 
river  to  the  portage.  They  then  crossed  to  the 
Wisconsin,  down  which  they  floated,  until,  on 
the  17th  of  June,  they  entered  the  Mississippi. 
After  dropping  down  the  river  many  miles,  they 
returned  by  way  of  the  Illinois  and  Lake  Mich- 
igan to  Green  bay,  where  Marquette  remained 
to  recruit  his  strength,  while  Joliet  returned  to 
Quebec  to  make  known  the  extent  of  his  dis- 
coveries, j 

Fontenac's  report  of  Joliet's  return  from  a 
voyage  to  discover  the  South  sea,  dated  Nov. 
14,  1674,  is  as  follows: 

"Sieur  Joliet,  whom  Monsieur  Talon  advised 

me,  on  my  arrival    from  France,  to  dispatch  for 

•That  Count  Fontenac,  governor  of  New  France,  andM. 
Tolon,  intenrtant,  should  have  expressed  a  wish  to  Joliet 
that  Father  .Manjuette  be  invited  to  accompany  him  in  his 
contemplated  journey,  is  to  be  inferre*!  from  the  words  of 
the  missionary;  but  nutliing  inlheorderK  i  if  lliese  officers  to  Joliet 
is  found  to  cfintirm  the  statement . 


22 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


the  discovery  of  the  South  sea,  has  returned 
three  months  ago,  and  discovered  some  very 
fine  countries,  and  a  navigation  so  easy  through 
the  beautiful  rivers  he  has  found,  that  a  person 
can  go  from  Lake  Ontario  and  Fort  Fontenac 
in  a  bark  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  there  being 
only  one  carrying  place,  half  a  league  in  length, 
where  Lake  Ontario  communicates  with  Lake 
Erie.  These  are  projects  which  it  will  be  pos- 
sible to  effect  when  peace  shall  be  firmly  estab- 
lished and  whenever  it  will  please  the  king  to 
prosecute  these  discoveries.  Joliet  has  been 
within  ten  days'  journey  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico, 
and  believes  that  water  communications  could 
be  found  leading  to  the  Vermilion  and  Cali- 
fornia seas,  by  means  of  the  river  that  flows 
from  the  west  [the  Missouri]  into  the  grand 
river  [the  Mississippi]  that  he  discovered, 
which  runs  from  north  to  south,  and  is  as  large 
as  the  St.  Lawrence  opposite  Quebec. 

"I  send  you  by  my  secretary  the  map  he  has 
made  of  it,  and  the  observations  he  has  been 
able  to  recollect,  as  he  has  lost  all  his  minutes 
and  journals  in  the  shipwreck  he  suffered  with- 
in sight  of  Montreal,  where,  after  having  com- 
pleted a  voyage  of  twelve  hundred  leagues,  he 
was  near  being  drowned,  and  lost  all  his  papers 
and  a  little  Indian,  whom  he  brought  from 
those  countries.  These  accidents  have  caused 
me  great  regret.  Joliet  left  with  the  fathers  at 
the  Sault  de  Ste.  Marie,  in  Lake  Superior,  copies 
of  his  journals;  these  we  cannot  get  before  next 
year.  Tou  will  glean  from  them  additional 
particulars  of  this  discovery,  in  which  he  has 
very  well  acquitted  himself." 

It  is  not  known  that  the  copies  of  Joliet's 
journals,  mentioned  in  Frontenac's  report,  were 
delivered  to  the  French  government;  but  an  ac- 
count of  the  voyage  by  Marquette  was  published 
in  16S1  by  Thevenat.  This  fact  has  caused  an 
undue  importance  to  be  attached  to  the  name 
of  the  missionary  in  connection  with  the  dis- 
covery of  the  Mississippi,  and  at  the  expense  of 
tlie  fame  of  Joliet.* 

•"The  Count  of  Frontenae,"  says  Shea  (Wis  Hist.  CoU.,Vol. 
VII,  page  119),    "oa  the  Uth  of  November,   [1671]  in  a  (lis 


Explorations  begun  by  Joliet  were  continued. 
La  Salle,  in  '[619,  with  Father  Louis  Hennepin, 
coasted  along  the  western  shore  of  Lake  Michi- 
gan, landing  frequently.  The  return  of  Henry 
de  Tonty,  one  of  La  Salle's  party,  down  the 
same  coast  to  Green  bay,  from  the  Illinois,  fol- 
lowed in  ]680.  The  same  year.  Father  Henne- 
pin from  the  upper  Mississippi,  whither  he  had 
gone  from  the  Illinois,  made  his  way  across 
what  is  now  Wisconsin,  by  the  Wisconsin  and 
Fox  rivers  to  Green  bay.* 

He  was  accompanied  by  Daniel  Greysolon 
Duluth,  who,on  his  way  down  the  Mississippi  bad 
met  Hennepin  in  September,  IGTS.  Duluth  left 
Quebec  to  explore,  under  the  authority  of  the 
governor  of  New  France,  the  region  of  the  up- 
per Mississippi,  and  establish  relations  of 
friendship  with  the  Sioux  and  their  kindred, 
the  Assiniboines.  In  the  summer  of  Idld  he  was 
in  the  Sioux  country  and  early  in  the  autumn 
of  that  year  at  the  head  of  Lake  Superior  hold- 
ing an  Indian  council.  In  June,  1680,  he  set 
out  from  that  point  to  continue  his  explorations. 
Going  down  the  Mississippi  he  met  with  Henne- 
pin,as  stated  above,journeyed  with  him  to  the  Je- 
suit station,  near  the  head  of  Green  bay,  across 
what  is  now  the  State  of  Wisconsin.  Follow- 
ing the  voyages  of  Hennepin  and  Duluth  was 
the  one  by  Le  Sueur,  in  1683,  from  Lake  Michi- 
gan to  the  Mississippi,  ascending  that  river  to 
the  Sioux  country  in  the  region  about  St.  An- 
thony, and  his  subsequent  establishment,  said 
to  have  been  in  1693,  at  La  Pointe,  in  the  pres- 
ent Ashland  Co.,  Wis.  He  was,  at  least,  a 
voyageur  stationed  at  Chegoimegon  during  that 
year.  He  continued  to  trade  with  the  Sioux  at 
intervals  to  the  yenr  l702.f 

patch  to  Colbert  announced  the  successful  issue  of  JoUet's 
expeclition;"butSheathen  adds;  "They  had  to  wait  forfullde- 
tailstill  the  aceountdrawn  up  by  Father  Marquette  should  be 
sent  down, "  as  tboug:h  such  an  account  was  really  expected: 
but  the  fact  was,  as  stated  by  Fontenac  himself,  that  cople 
of  Joliet's  journals  were  what  was  looked  for. 

*Hist.  of  Northern  Wis.,  page  44. 

tibed. 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


2S 


Nicholas  Perrot  was  again  in  the  northwest 
in  1684.  He  was  commissioned  to  have  chief 
commanci,  not  only  "at  tlie  bay,"  but  also  upon 
the  Mississippi,  on  the  east  side  of  which 
stream,  at  the  foot  of  Lake  Pepin,  he  erected 
a  post.  Here  he  spent  the  winter  of  1685-6. 
Tiie  next  year  he  had  returned  to  Green  bay. 
He  vibrated  between  Montreal  and  the  west 
until  1697.  In  1699  St.  Cosme  and  his  com- 
panions coasted  along  the  west  shore  of  Lake 
Michigan.  Other  explorations  followed,  but 
generally  in  the  tracks  of  previous  ones. 
Except  at  "the  bay,"  there  was  not  so  long  as 
tlie  French  had  dominion  over  the  northwest, 
a  single  post  occupied  for  any  length  of  time  by 
regular  soldiers.  This  post  was  called  Fort  St. 
Francis.  There  were  other  stockades. — one  at 
La  Pointe  in  1726,  and,  as  we  have  already  seen 
one  upon  the  Mississippi;  but  neither  of  these 
had  cannon.  At  the  commencement  of  the 
French  and  Indian  War,  all  three  had  disap- 
peared. At  the  ending  of  hostilities,  in  1760, 
there  was  not  a  single  vestage  of  civilization 
within  what  are  now  the  bounds  of  Wisconsin, 
except  a  few  vagrant  Frenchmen  among  the 
Indians;  there  was  no  post;  no  settlement,  west 
of  Lake  Michigan.  But  before  dismissing  the 
subject  of  French  supremacy  in  tlie  northwest, 
it  is  proper  to  mention  the  hostility  that  for  a 
number  of  years  existed  between  the  Fox  Ind- 
ians and  Frenchmen. 

In  the  year  1693,  several  fur-traders  were 
plundered  by  the  Fox  Indians  (located  upon 
Fox  river  of  Green  bay),  while  on  their  way  to 
the  Sioux;  the  F'oxes  alleging  that  the  French- 
men were  carrying  arms  to  their  ancient 
enemies.  We  hear  no  more  of  their  hostility 
to  the  French  until  early  in  the  spring  of  1712, 
when  they  and  some  Mascoutins,  laid  a  plan  to 
burn  the  fort  at  Detroit.  It  was  besieged  for 
nineteen  days  by  these  savages,  but  the  besiegers 
were  obliged  finally  to  retreat,  as  their  provis- 
ions had  become  exhausted.  They  were  pursued, 
however,  anil  near  Lake  St.  Clair  suffered  a  signal 
defeat   at    the  bands  of  M.   Dubisson  and  his 


Indian  allies.  The  Marquis  de  Vaudreuil,  now 
that  the  Foxes  continued  their  hostilities,  de- 
termined on  a  war  of  extermination  against 
them.  De  Lourigny,  a  lieutenant,  left  Quebec 
in  March,  1716.  He  made  his  way  with  alacrity, 
entering  Green  bay  and  Fox  river,  it  is  said, 
with  a  force  of  800  French  and  Indians,  en- 
countering the  enemy  in  a  pallisaded  fort, 
which  would  have  been  soon  reduced  had  not 
the  Foxes  asked  for  peace.  Hostages  were 
given,  and  Lourigny  returned  to  Quebec.  In 
1721  the  war  was  renewed,  and  in  1728  another 
expedition  was  organized  against  these  savages, 
commanded  by  Marchemd  de  Lignery.  This 
officer  proceeded  by  way  of  the  Ottawa  river  of 
Canada  and  Lake  Huron  to  Green  bay,  upon 
the  noithern  shore  of  which  the  Menominees, 
who  had  also  become  hostile  were  attacked  and 
defeated.  On  the  24th  of  August,  a  Winnebago 
village  on  Fox  river  was  reached  by  De  Lignery 
with  a  force  of  400  French  and  750  Indians. 
They  proceeded  thence,  up  the  river  to  the 
home  of  the  Foxes,  but  did  not  succeed  in  meet- 
ing the  enemy  in  force.  The  expedition  wa« 
a  signal  failure.  But  the  march  of  Neyon  de 
Villiers,  in  1730,  against  the  Foxes,  was  more 
successful,  resulting  in  their  defeat.  They 
suffered  a  loss  of  200  killed  of  warriors,  and 
three  times  as  many  women  and  children.  Still 
the  Foxes  were  not  humbled.  Another  expedi- 
tion, this  time  under  the  direction  of  Capt.  De 
Noyelle,  marched  against  them  in  1735.  The 
result  was  not  decisive.  Many  places  have  been 
designated  upon  Fox  river  as  points  where 
conflicts  between  the  French  and  their  allies, 
and  the  Foxes  and  their  allies  took  place;  but 
all  such  designations  are  traditionary  and  un- 
certain. The  Sacs  and  Foxes  finally  became 
connected  with  the  government  of  Canada,  and 
during  the  French  and  Indian  War  were 
arrayed  against  the  English. 

WISCONSIN  UXDER  ENGLISH    SUPREMACT. 

On  the  9lh  day  of  September,  1760,  Governor 
Vaudreuil  surrendered  Canada  to  General  Am- 
herst, of  the  British  army,  and^the  supremacy 


24 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


over  the  northwest  passed  from  France  to 
Great  Britain.  But  in  what  is  now  Wisconsin 
there  was  little  be.sides  savages  to  be  affected  by 
the  change.  The  vagrant  fur-trader  represented 
all  that  there  was  of  civilization  west  of  Lake 
Michigan.  Detroit  was  soon  taken  possession 
of;  then  Mackinaw,  and  finally,  in  1761,  a 
squad  of  English  soldiers  reached  the  head  of 
Green  bay,  to  garrison  the  tumble-down  post, 
where  now  is  Fort  Howard,  Brown  Co.,  Wis. 
This  was  on  October  12  of  the  year  just  men- 
tioned. Lieut.  James  Gorrell  and  one  ser- 
geant, one  corporal  and  fifteen  privates  con- 
stituted the  "army  of  occupation"  for  the 
whole  country  west  of  Lake  Mich.igan  from 
this  time  to  June  21,  1763,  when  the  post 
was  abandoned  by  the  commandant  on  ac- 
count of  the  breaking  out  of  Pontiae's  War, 
and  the  capture  of  the  fort  at  Macki- 
naw by  the  savages.  The  cause  of  the 
war  was  this  :  The  Indian  tribes  saw  the  dan- 
ger which  the  downfall  of  the  French  interests 
in  Canada  was  sure  to  bring  them.  They 
banded  together  under  Pontiac  to  avert  their 
ruin.  The  struggle  was  short  but  fierce — full 
of  "  scenes  of  tragic  interest,  with  marvels  of 
suffering  and  vicissitude,  of  heroism  and  en- 
durance ;"  but  the  white  man  conquered.  The 
moving  incidents  in  this  bloody  drama  were 
enacted  to  the  eastward  of  what  is  now  Wis- 
consin, coming  no  nearer  than  Mackinaw,  but 
it  resulted  in  the  evacuation  of  its  territory  by 
British  troops,  who  never  after  took  possession 
of  it,  though  they  continued  until  1796  a  nominal 
military  rule  over  it  after  Mackinaw  was  again 
occupied  by  them. 

No  sooner  had  the  soldiers  under  Gorrell 
left  the  bay  than  French  traders  seized  upon 
the  occasion  to  again  make  it  headquarters  for 
traffic  in  furs  to  the  westward  of  Lake  Michi- 
gan. Not  that  only,  for  a  few  determined  to 
make  it  their  permanent  home.  By  the  year 
1760  there  were  some  families  living  in  the  de- 
cayed Fort  Edward  Augustus  and  opposite 
thereto,  on  the  east  side  of  Fox  river,  where 


they  cultivated  the  soil  in  a  small  way  and  in 
an  extremely  primitive  manner,  living,  now 
that  peace  was  again  restored,  very  comfort- 
alily.  Of  these  French  Canadians,  no  one  can 
be  considered  as  the  pioneer — no  one  is  entitled 
to  the  renown  of  having  first  led  the  way,  be- 
coming, therefore  the  first  settler  of  the  State, 
much  less  the  father  and  founder  of  Wisconsin. 
It  was  simply  that  "the  bay,"  being,  after  Pon- 
tiae's war,  occupied  by  Canadian  French  fur- 
traders,  their  station  finally  ripened  into  a  per- 
manent settlement — the  first  in  Wisconsin — the 
leading  spirits  of  which  were  the  two  Lang- 
lades,  Augustin  and  Charles,  father  and  son. 
It  had  all  the  characteristics  of  a  French  settle- 
ment. Its  growth  was  very  slow.  The  indus- 
tries were  few  and  simple.  Besides  the  em- 
ployments of  trading  and  transporting  goods 
and  peltries,  the  inhabitants  engaged  in  hunt- 
ing and  trapping.  Attention  was  given  to  the 
cultivation  of  the  soil  only  incidently.  Gardens 
were  cultivated  to  some  extent  for  a  supply  of 
vegetables.  Gradually,  however,  a  few  persons 
turned  their  chief  attention  to  agriculture.* 

In  1783  four  white  persons  occupied  in  a  per- 
manent manner  the  tract  of  land  where  now  is 
Prairie  du  Chien,  in  Crawford  Co.,  Wis.  They 
were  soon  followed  by  a  number  of  persons 
who  located  there.  These  became  permanent 
traders  with  the  Indians. 

Besides  the  settlement  at  "the  bay"  and  the 
one  at  Prairie  du  Chien  some  French  traders 
were  located  where  Milwaukee  now  is  in  1795, 
but  they  could  hardly  be  called  settlers.  Ten 
years  before  that  date  Laurence  Barth  lived  at 
the  portage  between  the  Fox  and  Wisconsin 
rivers,  now  the  site  of  Portage,  Columbia  Co., 
Wis.,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the  carrying 
trade.  But  his  residence  could  not  fairly  be 
termed  a  settlement;  so  that  when,  in  1796,  the 
English  yielded  possession  of  what  is  now  Wis- 
consin to  the  Americans  (a  nominal  one,  how- 
ever,) there  were  really  but  two  settlements — 
Green  Bay  and  Prairie  du  Chien. 

*Hi8t.  Northern  Wis.,  p.  49. 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


95 


WISCONSIN  AS  A    PART    OF    THE    NORTHWEST    TER- 
RITORY. 

The  Congress  of  the  United  States,  by  tlieir 
act  of  the  6tli  day  of  September,  1780,  recom- 
mended to  the  >('V(  ral  States  in  the  Union  hav- 
ing claims  to  waste  and  unapi)ropriated  lands  in 
the  western  country,  a  liberal  cession  tothegen- 
er.jl  government  of  a  portion  of  their  respective 
claims  for  the  common  benefit  of  the  Union. 
The  claiming  States  were  Connecticut,  New 
York  and  Virginia,  all  under  their  colonial  char- 
ters, and  the  last  mentioned,  in  addition  thereto, 
by  right  of  conquest  of  the  Illinois  country. 
The  region  contended  for  lay  to  the  northwest 
of  the  river  Ohio.  Virginia  claimed  territory 
westward  to  the  Mississippi  and  northward  to  a 
somewhat  indefinite  extent.  New  York,  and 
especially  Connecticut,  laid  claim  to  territory 
streiching  away  to  an  unbounded  extent  west- 
waid,  but  not  so  far  to  the  south  as  Virginia. 
The  last  mentioned  State,  by  virtue  of  conquests 
largely  her  own,  extended  her  jurisdiction  over 
the  Illinois  settlements  in  1778,  and  the  year 
after,  and  erected  into  a  county  enough  to  in- 
clude all  her  conquests.  But,  what  is  now  the 
State  of  Wisconsin,  she  certainly  did  not  exor- 
cise dominion  over.  The  three  States  finally 
ceded  all  llicir  rights  to  the  United  States,  leav- 
ing the  general  goveinmeiit  absolute  owner  of 
th<>  whole  country,  subject  only  to  the  rights, 
such  as  they  were,  of  the  Indian  Nations  who 
dwelt  therein. 

Under  a  congressional  ordinance,  i>assed  in 
1785,  for  ascertaining  the  mode  of  disposing  of 
lands  in  the  western  territory,  the  geographer 
<il'  the  United  States  was  directed  to  commence 
the  survey  of  them  immediately  beyond  the 
Ohio  river,  upon  the  plan  which  has  ever  since 
been  followed  by  the  general  government,  re- 
sulting in  regular  latitudinal  and  longitudinal 
lines  being  run,  so  as  to  circunisiMJbe  every  640 
acres  of  land,  not  only  in  Wisconsin  but  in  all 
the  west,  wherever  these  surveys  have  been" 
brought  to  completion.  Two  years  subse(|uent 
to  the  passage  of  the  first  ordinance,  was  that  of 


another  and  more  famous  one,  providing  for  the 
government  of  the  territory  northwest  of  the 
river  Ohio.  This  is  familiarly  known  as  the 
ordinance  of  1787;  and  to  this  day  it  is  a  part  of 
the  fundamental  law  of  Ohio,  Indiana,  Illinois, 
Michigan  and  Wisconsin,  the  five  states  since 
formed  out  of  the  region  included  within  the 
limits  affected  by  its  provisions; — an  act  of  Con- 
gress, passed  in  1789,  having  adapted  it  to  the 
constitution  of  the  United  States.  But  neither 
the  treaty  with  Great  Britain  of  1783,  nor  the 
ordinances  of  Congress  which  followed,  gave  the 
United  States  anything  more  'ban  constructive 
possession  of  the  whole  of  its  western  territory. 
The  mother  country,  it  is  true,  recognized  the 
northern  lakes  as  the  boundary  between  her 
possessions  and  those  of  the  now  independent 
states,  but  finding  an  excuse  in  the  fact  of  some 
of  her  merchants  not  being  paid  their  claims  as 
stipulated  by  the  treaty  of  1783,  she  retained 
possession  of  the  whole  northwest,  including 
what  is  now  Wisconsin,  until  1700. 

By  the  ordinance  of  1787,  the  United  States 
in  Congress  assembled  d«clared  that  the  teni- 
tory  northwest  of  the  Ohio,  should,  for  the  j)Ui- 
])oses  of  tem])orary  go\erninent,  be  one  district, 
subject,  however,  to  be  divided  into  districts,  as 
future  circumstances  might,  in  the  opinion  ol' 
Congress,  make  it  ex|)edieiit.  It  was  ordained, 
that  a  governor,  secretary  and  three  judges 
should  be  appointed  for  the  territory;  a  general 
assembly  was  also  provided  for;  and  it  was  de- 
clared that  religion,  morality  and  knowledge, 
being  necessary  to  good  government  and  the 
happiness  of  mankin<l,  schools  and  the  means  of 
education  should  forever  l)e  eneourageil.  It 
was  also  ordained  that  tl)ei-e  should  be  neither 
slavery  nor  involuntary  servitude  in  the  terri- 
tory, "otiierwise  than  in  the  punisliinent  of 
crimes  whereof  the  party  shall  |]a^■e  been  duly 
convicted."  But  this  organic  law  was  of  cour.-'c 
nugatory  over  tiiat  portion  of  the  territory  0( - 
cnjiied  by  the  British,  and  so  continucil  until 
the  latter  yielded  possession,  and  in  tact,  for 
some  time  subsequent  thereto. 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


By  the  treaty  agreed  upon  in  l'I9i,  between 
the  United  States  and  Great  Britain,  usually 
known  as  the  Jay  treaty,  the  evacuation  of  the 
posts  and  places  occupied  by  British  troops  and 
garrisons  in  the  northwest,  was  to  take  place  on 
or  before  the  Ist  day  of  June,  1796.  All  set- 
tlers and  traders  within  the  precincts  or  juris- 
diction of  these  posts  were  to  continue  to  enjoy 
unmolested,  all  their  propeity  of  every  kind, 
and  to  be  protected  therein.  They  were  at  full 
liberty  to  remain  there,  or  to  remove  with  all 
or  any  part  of  their  effects;  and  it  was  left  free 
to  them  to  sell  their  lands,  houses,  or  effects,  or 
to  retain  the  property  thereof,  at  their  discre- 
tion. Such  of  them  as  should  continue  to  reside 
there  were  not  to  be  compelled  to  become  citi- 
zens of  the  United  States,  or  to  take  any  oath 
of  allegiance  to  the  government  thereof;  but 
were  at  full  liberty  so  to  do  if  they  thought 
proper;  and  they  were  to  make  and  declare  their 
election  within  one  year  after  the  evacuation  of 
the  posts  by  the  military.  Persons  continuing 
after  the  expiration  of  one  year  without  having 
declared  their  intentions  of  remaining  subjects 
of  his  Britannic  majesty,  were  to  be  considered 
as  having  elected  to  become  citizens  of  the 
United  States.  It  is  believed  that  no  citizen  of 
Wisconsin,  either  in  the  settlement  at  "the  bay" 
or  at  Pi-airie  du  Chien  made  such  a  declaration 
but  that  all  who  remained,  became  thereby  citi- 
izens  of  the  new  government. 

The  Indian  war  in  the  west;  which  followed 
the  Revolution,  was  brought  to  an  end  by  the 
victorious  arms  of  Gen.  Anthony  Wayne,  upon 
the  banks  of  the  Maumee  river,  in  what  is  now 
the  State  of  Ohio,  in  the  year  1794.  The  treaty 
of  Greenville  was  entered  into  the  next  year 
with  twelve  western  tribes  of  Indians,  none  of 
which  resided  in  Wisconsin.  Nevertheless,  one 
of  the  provisions  of  the  treaty  was  that,  in  con- 
sideration of  the  peace  then  established  and 
the  cessations  and  the  relinquishments  of  lands 
made  by  the  Indian  tribes  there  represented, 
and  to  manifest  the  liberality  of  the  United 
States,  claims  to  all  Indian  lauds    northward  of 


the  Ohio,  eastward  of  the  Mississippi,  and  west- 
ward and  southward  of  the  great  lakes  and  the 
waters  uniting  them,  were  relinquished  by  the 
gencal  government  to  the  Indians  having  a 
right  thereto.  This  included  all  the  lands 
within  the  present  boundaries  of  Wisconsin. 
The  meaning  of  the  relinquishment  by  the 
United  States  was  that  the  Indian  tribes  who 
had  a  right  to  those  lands  were  quietly  to  enjoy 
them,  hunting,  planting  and  dwelling  thereon 
as  long  as  they  pleased,  without  any  molesta- 
tion from  the  general  government;  but  when 
any  tribe  should  be  disposed  to  sell  its  lands, 
or  any  part  of  them,  they  were  to  be  sold  only 
to  the  United  States;  and  until  such  sale,  the 
general  government  would  protect  all  the  In- 
dian tribes  in  the  quiet  enjoyment  of  their  laiid 
against  all  citizens  of  the  country,  and  against 
all  other  white  persons  who  might  intrude  upon 
them.  And  if  any  citizen  of  the  United  States, 
or  any  other  white  person  or  persons  should  pre- 
sume to  settle  upon  the  lands  then  relinquished 
by  the  general  government,  such  citizens  or  other 
persons  should  be  out  of  the  protection  of  the 
United  States;  and  the  Indian  tribe  on  whose 
land  the  settlement  might  be  made  might  drive 
off  the  settler,  or  punish  him  in  such  manner  as 
they  might  think  fit;  and  because  such  settle- 
ments made  without  the  consent  of  the  general 
government  would  be  injurious  to  them  as  well 
as  to  the  Indians,  the  United  States  should  be 
at  liberty  to  break  them  up,  and  remove  and 
punish  the  settlers,  as  they  might  think  proper. 
The  titles  of  the  Indians  to  their  lands  were 
thus  acknowledged;  and  they  were  unquestion- 
able, because  treaties  made,  or  to  be  made 
with  the  various  tribes  had  been  declared  by 
the  constitution  of  the  United  States,  the  su- 
preme law  of  the  land.  But  those  titles  could 
only  be  yielded  to  the  general  government. 
The  principal  question  to  be  afterward  deter- 
mined was,  what  lands  were  each  tribe  the 
rightful  owners  of.  So  long  as  Wisconsin 
formed  a  part  of  the  northwestern  territory,  no 
treaty  was  made  by  the  United  States  with  any 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


37 


tribe  or  tribes  occnpying  any  portion  of  the 
the  country  now  lying  within  the  limits  of  Wis- 
consin. 

When,  in  l/f'H.  Great  Britain  yielded  posses- 
sion of  the  noiiliwest  by  withdrawing  its  garri- 
sons from  the  military  posts  therein,  in  pursu- 
ance of  the  Jay  treaty  of  1794,  and  the  United 
States  took  formal  possession  thereof,  the 
change  in  the  political  relations  of  the  few  set- 
tlers of  Green  Bay  and  Prairie  du  Chien  was 
not  felt  by  them.  They  had  become  the  adop- 
ted citizens  of  the  United  States  without  any 
realization  further  than  a  bare  knowledge  of 
the  fact.  British  authority  had  been  so  little 
exercised  in  their  domestic  affairs,  that  its  with- 
dra-w'al  was  unnoticed,  while  that  of  the  United 
States  only  reached  them  in  name.  Nearly  all 
who  were  engaged  in  the  fur  trade  were  agents 
or  employes  of  the  British  fur  companies,  and 
their  relation  to  these  remained  unbroken.  No 
intercourse  for  several  years  sprung  up  with 
the  Americans. 

Under  the  ordinance  of  1787,  Arthur  St.  Clair 
wa.s  appointed  governor  of  the  northwestern 
territory.  At  different  periods  counties  were 
erected  to  include  various  portions  of  that 
region  of  country.  By  the  governor's  procla- 
mation of  the  15th  of  August,  1796,  one  was 
formed  to  include  the  whole  of  the  present 
area  of  northern  Ohio,  west  of  a  point  where 
the  city  of  Cleveland  is  now  located;  also  all  of 
the  present  State  of  Indiana,  north  of  a  line 
drawn  from  Fort  Wayne,  "west-northerly  to 
the  southern  part  of  Lake  Michigan,"  the  whole 
of  what  is  now  the  State  of  Michigan,  except 
the  extreme  northwest  corner  on  Lake  Superior; 
a  small  corner  in  the  northeast  part  of  the  pres- 
ent State  of  Illinois,  including  Chicago;  and  so 
much  of  what  is  now  Wisconsin  as  is  watered 
by  the  streams  flowing  into  Lake  Michigan, 
which  included  an  extensive  portion  of  its  area, 
taking  in  the  territory  now  constituting  many 
of  its  eastern  and  interior  counties.  To  this 
county  was  given  the  name  of  Wayne.  The 
citizens  at  the  head  of  Greeu   bay,  from  179(3, 


until  the  4th  of  July,  1800,  were,  therefore,  res- 
idents of  Wayne  county,  Northwest  territory. 
But  the  western  portion  of  the  present  State  of 
Wisconsin,  including  all  its  area  watered  by 
streams  flowing  northward  into  Lake  Superior, 
and  westward  and  southwestward  into  the  Mis- 
sissippi, was  during  those  years  attached  to  no 
county  whatever.  Within  this  part  of  the  State 
was  located,  of  course,  the  settlement  of  Prairie 
du  Chien. 

WISCONSIN    AS    A    PART    OF      THE      TERRITOKT      OK 
INnlANA. 

After  the  fourth  day  of  July,  1800,  all  that 
portion  of  the  territory  of  theUniled  States  north- 
west of  the  Ohio  river,  lying  to  the  westward 
of  a  line  beginning  upon  that  stream  opposite 
the  mouth  of  the  Kentucky  river  and  running 
thence  to  what  is  now  Fort  Recovery,  in  Mer- 
cer Co.,  Ohio,  thence  north  until  it  intersected 
the  territorial  line  between  the  United  States 
and  Canada,  was  for  the  purposes  of  temporary 
government,  constituted  a  separate  territory, 
called  Indiana.  Within  its  boundaries  were 
included  not  only  nearly  all  of  what  is  now  the 
State  of  Indiana,  but  the  whole  of  the  present 
State  of  Illinois,  more  than  half  of  what  is 
now  Michigan,  a  considerable  portion  of  the 
present  State  of  Minnesota,and  the  whole  of  Wis- 
consin. The  seat  of  government  was  estab- 
lished at  "Saint  Vincennes  on  the  Wabash." 
now  the  city  of  Vincennes,Ind.  Upon  the  form- 
ation of  a  State  government  for  the  State  of 
Ohio,  in  1802,  all  the  country  west  of  that  State, 
but  east  of  the  eastern  boundary  of  the  territory 
of  Indiana,  was  added  to  the  latter  ;  so  that 
then  the  area  norlliwest  of  the  Ohio  river  in- 
cluded but  one  State  and  one  territory.  After- 
ward, civil  jurisdiction  was  exercised  by  the 
authorities  of  Indiana  territory  over  the  Green 
bay  settlement,  in  a  faint  way,  by  the  appoint 
ment,  by  Gov.  William  Henry  Harrison,  of 
Charles  Reanme  as  the  justice  of  the  peace 
therein.  Prairie  du  Chien  was  also  recognized 
by  the  new  territorial  government  by  tlie 
appointment   of  two  persons  to   a  like  oflice — 


28 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


Henry  M.  Fisher  and  a  trader  by  the  name  of 
Campbell. 

As  American  emigration  was  now  rapidly 
dotting  the  wilderness  to  the  westward  of  the 
State  of  Ohio  wilh  settlements,  a  treaty  with 
some  of  the  Indian  tribes  who  claimed 
lands  in  that  region  extending  northward  into 
what  is  now  Wisconsin,  was  a  necessity,  for  as 
yet,  none  of  these  Nations  had  met  any  au- 
thorities of  the  United  States  in  council.  At 
the  close  of  the  contest  between  France  and 
Great  Britain  so  disastrous  in  North  America  to 
the  former,  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  readily  gave  in 
their  adhesion  to  the  latter,  asking  that  English 
traders  might  be  sent  them.  The  two  Nations, 
then  about  equally  divided,  numbered  about 
Too      warriors.  Neither      of     the      tribes 

took  part  in  Poniiac's  war,  but  they  befriended 
the  English.  The  Sacs  had,  by  that  date  emi- 
grated some  distance  to  the  westward,  while 
the  Foxes,  at  least  a  portion  of  them,  still  re- 
mained upon  the  waters  of  the  river  of  Green 
bay,  which  perpetuates  their  name.  A  few 
years  later,  however,  and  the  Sacs  were  occu- 
pants of  the  upper  Wisconsin  also  to  a  consid- 
erable extent  below  the  portage  between  that 
stream  and  Fox  river,  where  their  chief  town 
was  h)eated.  Further  down  the  Wisconsin  was 
the  upper  village  of  the  Foxes,  while  their 
lower  town  was  situated  not  far  from  its  mouth, 
near  the  site  of  the  present  city  of  Prairie  du 
Chien. 

Not  long  after  Wise  nsin  had  been  taken 
possession  of  by  the  British,  its  northern  por- 
tion, including  all  that  part  watered  by  the 
streams  flowing  north  into  Lake  Superior,  was 
the  home  of  the  Chippewas.  The  country 
around  nearly  the  whole  of  Green  bay,  was  the 
hun  ing  grounds  of  the  Menomonees.  The  ter- 
ritory of  Winnebago  lake  and  Fox  river  was 
the  seat  of  the  Winnebagoes,  while,  as  just 
stated,  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  had  the  region  of 
the  Wisconsin  river  as  their  dwelling  place. 
During  the  war  of  the  Revolution,  these 
two   tribes   continued  the  firm   friends   of  the 


English,  although  not  engaged  in  active  hostili- 
ties again.«it  the  Americans.  When  finally  Eng- 
land delivered  up  to  the  United  States  the  pos- 
session of  the  northwest,  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  had 
only  a  small  portion  of  their  territory  in  Wis- 
consin, and  that  in  the  extreme  southwest. 
Their  principal  possession  extended  a  consider- 
able distance  to  the  south  of  the  mouth  of  the 
Wisconsin,  upon  both  sides  of  the  Mississppi 
river. 

On  the  3d  of  November,  1804,  a  treaty  was 
held  at  St.  Louis  between  the  Sacs  and  Foxes 
and  the  United  States.  These  tribes  then  ceded 
to  the  general  government,  a  lage  tract  of  land 
on  both  sides  of  the  Mississippi,  extending  on 
the  east  from  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois  to  the 
head  of  that  river,  thence  to  the  Wisconsin. 
This  grant  embraces,  in  what  is  now  Wisconsin, 
the  whole  of  the  present  counties  of  Grant  and 
La  Fayette,  and  a  large  portion  of  those  of  Iowa 
and  Green.  It  included  the  lead  region.  These 
tribes  also  claimed  territory  on  the  upper  side 
of  the  Wisconsin,  but  they  only  granted  away 
a  tract  two  miles  square  above  that  stream,  near 
its  mouth,  with  the  right  of  the  United  States 
to  build  a  fort  adjacent  thereto.  In  considera- 
tion of  the  cession  of  these  lands,  the  general 
government  agreed  to  protect  the  two  tribes  in 
the  quiet  enjoyment  of  the  residue  of  their 
possessions  against  its  own  citizens  and  all  oth- 
ers who  should  intrude  on  them  ;  carrying  out 
the  stipulations  to  that  effect  embodied  in  the 
Greenville  treaty,  of  1795.  Thus  begun  the 
quieting  of  the  Indian  title  to  the  eminent  do- 
main of  Wisconsin  by  the  United  States,  which 
was  carried  forward  until  the  whole  territory 
(except  certain  reservations  to  a  few  tribes)  had 
been  fairly  purchased  of  the  original  proprie- 
tors. 

So  much  of  Indiana  territory  as  lay  to  the 
north  of  a  line  drawn  east  from  the  southern 
bend  of  Lake  Michigan  to  Lake  Erie,  and  east 
of  a  line  drawn  from  the  same  tend  through 
the  middle  of  the  first  mentioned  lake  to  its 
northern  extremity,   thence    due   north    to   the 


mSTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


29 


northern  boundary  of  the  United  States,  was, 
for  the  purposes  of  temporary  government,  on 
the  30th  of  June,  1805,  constituted  a  separate 
and  distinct  territory,  called  Michigan.  This 
new  territory  did  not  include  witliin  its  boun- 
daries any  part  of  Wisconsin  as  at  present  de- 
fined. 

WISCONSIN    AS    A    PART    OF    ILLINOIS      TERRITORY. 

On  the  3d  of  February,  1809,  an  act  of  Con- 
gress, entitled  an  act  for  dividing  the  Indiana 
territory  into  two  separate  governments,  was 
approved  by  the  President  and  became  a  law. 
It  provided  that  from  and  after  the  1st  day  of 
March  thereafter,  all  that  part  of  the  Indiana 
territory  lying  west  of  the  Wabash  river  and 
a  direct  line  drawn  from  that  stream  and  "Post 
Vincennes"  due  north  to  the  territorial  line  be- 
tween the  United  States  and  Canada,  should, 
for  the  purpose  of  temporary  government,  con- 
stitute a  separate  territory  and  be  called  Illinois, 
with  the  seat  of  government  at  Kaskaskia,  on 
the  Mississippi  river,  until  it  should  be  other- 
wise ordered.  By  this  law,  all  of  what  is  now 
Wisconsin  was  transferred  from  Indiana  terri- 
tory to  that  of  Illinois,  except  that  portion  lying 
east  of  the  meridian  line  drawn  through  Vin- 
cennes.  This  fraction  included  nearly  the 
whole  area  between  Green  bay  and  Lake  Mi- 
chigan and  remained  a  part  of  the  territory  of 
Indiana.  When,  in  1816,  Indiana  became  a 
State,  this  narrow  strip,  as  it  was  neither  a  por- 
tion of  Michigan  territory  on  the  east  or  Illinois 
territory  on  the  west,  remained  without  any 
organization  until  1818.  In  that  year  it  became 
a  part  of  Michigan  territory. 

In  1809,  an  effort  was  made  by  John  Jacob 
Astor,  of  New  York  city,  to  extend  the  Ameri- 
can fur-trade  by  way  of  the  lakes  to  Wiscon- 
sin and  parts  beyond;  but  the  monopoly 
of  the  British  fur  companies  was  too 
strong.  He  could  only  effect  his  object  by  uni- 
ting with  the  northwest  company  of  Montreal, 
in  I8I1,  to  form  out  of  the  American  and  Mack- 
inaw companies,  a  new  one,  to  be  known  as  the 
Southwest  company,  of  which    Astor   owned   a 


half  intererest,  with  the  arrangement  that,  after 
five  years,  it  was  to  pass  into  his  hands  alto- 
gether, being  restricted  in  its  operations  to  the 
territories  of  the  United  States.  This  company 
was  snsi>ended  by  the  war  with  Great  Britain, 
which  ininiedintely  followed.  At  the  close  of 
hostilities,  British  traders  were  prohibited  by 
law  from  pursuing  their  calling  within  the 
jurisdiction  of  the  United  States.  The  result 
was  the  southwest  company  closed  up  its  affairs, 
and  the  American  fur  company  re-appeared  un- 
der the  exclusive  control  of  Astor,  who  estab- 
lished his  western  headquarters  at  Mackinaw, 
operating  extensively  in  what  is  now  Wiscon- 
sin, especially  at  La  Pointe,  upon  Lake  Sujierior, 
where  large  warehouses  were  erected;  a  siock- 
ade  built,  lands  cleared,  farms  opened,  dwell- 
ings and  stores  put  up.  But  English  traders 
evaded  the  law  by  sen  .ing  their  goods  into  the 
United  States  in  the  name  of  American  clerks 
in  their  employ.  These  goods  being  of  supe- 
rior quality  to  those  furnished  by  Astor,  they 
continued  to  command  the  Indian  trade  to  a 
large  extent.  It  was  only  when  the  American 
prince  of  fur-traders  was  enabled  to  import 
goods  to  New  York  of  equal  quality  and  send 
them  by  way  of  the  lakes,  that  he  could  success- 
fully compete  with  his  rivals  and  in  the  end 
drive  them  from  the  fieM. 

At  the  commencement  of  the  war  with  (iieat 
Britain  the  few  settlers  at  Green  Bay  and 
Prairie  du  Chien  depended  largely  u])i  m  the 
fur  trade  for  their  living,  monojiolized,  as  we 
have  seen,  at  that  period,  by  British  traders. 
At  the  beginning  of  hostilities  this  depeiidency 
was  proniptlj'  secured  to  the  latter  by  the  ca])- 
lure,  from  the  Americans,  of  the  post  at  Macki- 
naw. Naturally  enough  most  of  the  people  of 
Wisconsin,  limited  in  number  as  they  were,  ad- 
hered to  the  English  during  the  continuance  of 
hostilities.  As  to  the  Indian  tribes,  witliin 
what  are  now  the  limits  of  the  State,  it  may  be 
said  that,  in  a  measure,  they,  too,  all  arraye<l 
themselves  on  the  side  of  Great  Britain.  The 
Menomonees  and  Winnebagoes  took  part  in  the 


30 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


capture  of  Mackinaw,  and  subsequently  in  other 
enterprises  against  the  Americans.  Indeed, 
all  the  tribes  in  the  northwest  were  firmly  at- 
tached to  the  English  by  reciprocal  interest  Iti 
the  fur  trade,  from  which  ihey  derived  their 
supplies.  Great  Britain  had  never  ceased  since 
the  Revolution  to  foster  their  friendship  by  the 
liberal  distribution  annually  of  presents;  hence, 
they  were  ready  when  the  War  of  1812-15  was 
inaugurated  to  take  up  the  hatchet  against  the 
Americans.  Just  before  hostilities  began,  the 
English  traders  were  especially  active  in  excit- 
ing the  Indians  against  the  Americans,  more  es- 
pecially against  American  traders.  Robert 
Dickson,  a  resident  of  Prairie  du  Chien,  an 
Englishman  by  birth,  was  among  the  foremost 
in  stirring  up  the  animosity  of  the  savages. 
Soon  after  the  declaration  of  war  he  collected  a 
body  of  Indians  at  Green  Bay  for  the  purpose 
of  rendering  assistance  to  the  British  forces  in 
their  operations  on  the  lakes  and  in  the  north- 
west; they  were  principally  Pottawattamies, 
Kickapoos,  Ottawas,  Winnebagoes  and  Sacs, 
the  last  mentioned  being  Black  Hawk's  band. 
This  chief  was  made  commander-in-chief  of  the 
savages  there  assembled,  by  Dickinson,  and 
sent  to  join  the  British  army  under  Proctor. 

The  English  early  succeeded  in  securing  the 
Wisconsin  Indian  tribes  as  their  allies  in  this 
war;  and  having  taken  Mackinaw  in  Jul}',  1812, 
they  were,  virtually,  put  in  possession  of  what 
is  now  the  eastern  portion  of  the  State.  Early 
in  1814,  the  government  authorities  of  the 
United  States  caused  to  be  fitted  out  at  St. 
Louis  a  large  boat,  having  on  board  all  tiie  men 
that  could  be  mustered  and  spared  from  the 
lower  country,  and  sent  up  the  Mississippi  to 
protect  the  upper  region  and  the  few  settlers 
therein.  The  troops  landed  at  Prairie  du  Chien, 
and  immediately  proceeded  to  fortify.  Not 
long  after.  Col.  McKay,  of  the  British  army, 
crossing  the  country  by  course  of  the  Fox  and 
Wisconsin  rivers,  with  over  500  British  and  In- 
dians, received  the  surrender  of  the  whole 
orce.     The  ofiicers  and  men  were  paroled  and 


sent  down  the  river.  This  was  the  only  battle 
fought  upon  Wisconsin  soil  during  the  last  war 
with  England.  The  post  at  Prairie  du  Chien 
was  left  in  command  of  a  captain  with  two 
companies  from  Mackinaw.  He  remained  there 
until  after  the  peace  of  1815,  when  the  place 
was  evacuated  by  the  British. 

On  the  3d  of  August,  1814,  an  expedition  of 
about  300  men.  under  command  of  Maj.  Zachary 
Taylor,  left  St.  Louis  in  boats  for  the  upper 
Mississippi.  When  they  arrived  at  Rock  Is- 
land they  found  the  British  there,  apparently 
in  force,  with  a  battery  on  shore  commanding 
the  river.  A  severe  fight  took  place,  but  after 
sustaining  a  loss  of  several  killed  and  wounded 
the  Americans  returned  to  St.  Louis.  The 
British  afterwards  left  Rock  Island,  and  upon 
the  signing  of  the  treaty  of  peace  by  the  envoys 
of  the  two  governments,  and  the  ratification  of 
the  same,  the  whole  northwest,  including  Fort 
McKay  at  Prairie  du  Chien,  was  evacuated  by 
British  forces. 

When  it  was  made  known  to  the  Indian 
tribes  of  the  west  some  of  them  upon  the  Miss- 
issippi wei-e  willing  and  eager  to  make  treaties 
with  the  United  States.  A  lucrative  trade 
sprung  up  between  the  merchants  of  St.  Louis 
and  the  traders  and  Indians  up  that  river. 
Goods  were  periodically  sent  up  the  river  to 
traders,  who  in  turn  transmitted  in  payment,  by 
the  same  boats,  furs  and  lead.  But,  generally, 
the  savages  hovered  sullenly  around  the  now 
rapidly  increasing  settlements  in  the  territoiies 
of  Michigan  and  Illinois,  and  the  general  gov- 
ernment began  to  consider  in  earnest  how  the 
influence  of  British  intercourse  might  be 
checked,  for  the  savages  were  still  encouraged 
by  English  traders  in  their  unfriendly  disposi- 
tion and  supplied  with  arms  by  them.  Accord- 
ingly, in  the  winter  after  the  close  of  the  war. 
Congress  prohibited  foreign  trade  in  the  ter- 
ritory of  the  United  Slates;  and,  in  the  summer 
following,  steps  were  taken  to  make  this  policy 
effectual,  by  establishing  a  chain  of  military 
posts  near  the  Canadian   frontier  and  upon  the 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


31 


principal  lines  of  communication  thence  into  the 
interior.  The.se  posts  were  to  be  occupied  by 
Indian  agents,  with  factories,  or  government 
stores,  de.signed  to  supply  the  place  of  the  pro- 
hibited traffic. 

On  the  2l8t  of  June,  1816,  United  States 
troops  took  possession  of  the  fort  at  Prairie  du 
Chien.  During  the  next  month  three  schooners 
entered  Fox  river  of  Green  bay,  under  the 
American  flag,  displaying  to  the  astonished 
inhabitants  of  tiie  small  settlement  upon  that 
stream  near  its  mouth,  their  decks  covered  with 
government  troops.  They  were  under  command 
of  Col.  John  Miller,  of  the  Third  United  States 
Infantry,  whose  purpose  was  the  establishment 
of  a  garrison  near  the  head  of  the  bay.  The 
rendezvous  of  the  troops  was  upon  the  east  side 
some  distance  up  the  river,  and  was  called 
"Camp  Smith."  At  the  end  of  two  months  the 
garrison  was  established  in  barracks  enclosed 
with  a  stockade.  Camp  Smith  was  occupied 
until  1820,  when  a  more  substantial  struc- 
ture was  erected  on  the  west  side  of  the 
stream  near  its  mouth,  and  named  Fort  Howard. 

The  settlement  at  Green  Bay  was  made  up  at 
the  close  of  the  war,  of  about  forty  or  fifty 
French  Canadians.  The  inhabitants  (as  at 
Prairie  du  Chien)  were  now  for  a  time  the 
subjects  of  military  rule.  "They  received  the 
advent  of  the  troops  in  a  hospitable  spirit,  and 
acquiesced  in  the  authority  asserted  over  them, 
with  little  evidence  of  discontent,  mainfaiiiiiig 
a  character  for  docility  and  freedom  from  tur- 
bulence of  disposition  remarkably  in  contrast 
with  their  surroundings.  Military  authority 
was,  in  the  main,  exerteii  for  the  preservation 
of  order."  There  was  no  civil  authority  worth 
speaking  of.  It  was  at  a  period  when  important 
changes  were  taking  place.  That  sonielinu-s 
military  authority,  under  such  circumstances, 
should  iiave  been  exercised  in  an  arbitrary 
manner,  is  not  at  all  a  matter  of  surprise.  "The 
conduct  of  the  soldiery  was  also  sometimes 
troublesome  and  offensive  ;  as  a  rule,  how- 
ever,    harmonious    relations    existed    between 


them  and  the  citizens.  The  abuses  were  only 
such  as  were  unavoidable,  in  the  absence  of  any 
lawful  restraint  on  the  one  hand,  or  means  of 
redress  on  the  other."  This  state  of  affairs  did 
not  long  continue,  as  initiatory  steps  were  not 
long  after  taken  to  extend  over  the  community 
both  here  and  at  Prairie  du  Chien  the  pro- 
tection of  civil  government. 

The  Indians  of  Wisconsin,  upon  the  arrival 
of  United  States  troops  at  Prairie  du  Chien  and 
Green  ba>,  gave  evident  signs  of  a  disposition 
to  remain  friendly,  although  some  thought  the 
advent  of  soldiers  an  intrusion.  An  Iiulian 
agency  under  John  Boyer  and  a  United  States 
factory,  well  supplied  with  goods,  with  Major 
Matthew  Irwin  at  its  head,  were  soon  established 
at  the  bay  ;  a  factory  at  Prairie  du  Cliien, 
under  charge  of  John  W.  Johnson,  was  also 
started.  The  Menemonee  and  Winnebago  tribes, 
the  former  upon  Green  bay,  the  latter  upon  the 
Fox  and  Wisconsin  rivers,  were  now  brought 
into  nearer  relations  with  the  United  Stales. 

WISCOXSIN    AS    A    PART    OF    MICHIGAN  TBRRITORY. 

Upon  the  admission  of  Illinois  into  the 
Union,  in  1818,  all  "the  territory  of  the  United 
States,  northwest  of  the  River  Ohio,"  lying  west 
of  Michigan  territory  and  north  of  the  States  of 
Indiana  and  Illinois,  was  attached  to  and  made 
a  part  of  Michigan  territory;  by  which  act  the 
whole  of  the  present  State  of  Wisconsin  came 
under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  latter.  At  the 
close  of  the  last  war  with  Great  Britian,  Wis- 
consin began  in  earnest  to  be  occui>ie<l  by 
Americans.  But  the  latter  were  still  ftw  in 
number  when  the  country  west  of  Lake  Michi- 
gan was  attached  to  Michigan  territory.  Now, 
however,  that  tlie  laws  of  the  United  States  were 
in  reality  extended  over  them,  they  beg.in  to 
feel  as  though  they  were  not  altogether  beyond 
the  protection  of  a  government  of  their  own, 
notwithstanding  they  were  surrounded  by 
Indian  tribes.  On  the  20th  of  Cctober,  1818, 
the  governor  of  the  territory  erected  by  ])iocia- 
mation  three  counties  lying  in  whole  or  in  part 
in  what  is  now   Wisconsin— Brown,  Crawford 


32 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


and  Michilimackinac.  The  county  of  Michili- 
mackinac  not  only  included  all  of  the  present 
State  of  Wisconsin  lyinsr  nortli  of  a  line  drawn 
due  west  from  near  the  head  of  tiie  Little  Noquet 
bay,  but  territory  east  and  west  of  it,  so  as  to 
reach  from  Lake  Huron  to  the  Mississippi  river. 
Its  county  seat  was  established  "at  the  Borough 
of  Michilimackinac."  The  wliole  area  in  Michi- 
gan territory  south  of  the  county  of  Michili- 
mackinac, and  west  of  Lake  Michigan  formed  the 
two  counties  of  Brown  and  Crawford;  the 
former  to  include  the  area  east  of  a  line  drawn 
due  nortli  and  south  through  tlic  middle  of  the 
portage  between  the  Fox  river  of  Green  bay  and 
the  Wisconsin;  the  latter  to  include  the  whole 
region  west  of  that  line.  Prairie  du  Chien  was 
designated  as  the  county  seat  of  Crawford; 
Green  Bay,  of  Brown  county.  On  the  22d  of 
December,  1820,  a  county  named  Chippewa  was 
formed  from  the  northern  portions  of  Michili- 
mackinac, including  the  southern  shores  of  Lake 
Superior  throughout  its  entire  length,  and  ex- 
tending from  tlie  straits  leading  from  that  lake 
into  Lake  Huron,  west  to  the  western  boumlary 
line  oS  ^Michigan  territory,  with  the  county  seat 
"at  such  point  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Snult  de 
Ste.  Marie,  as  a  majority  of  the  county  com- 
missio-ers  to  l)i-  ap[)oiTited  shall  designate." 
Embraced  within  this  county  — its  southern 
boundary  being  the  parallel  of  46  degrees  81  min- 
utes north  latitude-  was  all  the  territory  of  the 
]jresent  State  of  Wisconsin  now  bordering  on 
Lake  Superior.  Brown  and  Crawford  counties 
were  .soon  organized,  the  offices  being  filled  by 
.■ippointTuents  of  the  governor.  County  courts 
were  also  established,  to  which  appeals  were 
taken  frinn  justices  of  the  peace.  In  January, 
i-S23,  a  distiict  court  was  established  by  an  act 
of  Congress,  for  the  counties  last  mentioned, 
including  also  Michilimackinac.  One  term 
iluriiig  the  year  was  held  in  eacli  county.  James 
Duatie  Doty  was  the  judge  of  this  court  to  May, 
18;!2,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  David  Irvin. 

1  he  United  States  were  not  unmindful  of  her 
citizens  to  the  westward  of  Lake  Michigan,  in 


several  other  important  matters.  Indian  agencies 
were  established;  treaties  were  held  with  some 
of  the  native  tribes,  and  land  claims  of  white 
settlers  at  Green  Bay  and  Prairie  du  Chien 
adjusted.  Postmasters  were  also  appointed  at 
these  two  places. 

In  1825  and  the  two  following  years,  a  general 
attention  was  called  to  the  lead  mines  in  what 
is  now  the  southwestern  portion  of  the  State. 
Different  places  therein  were  settled  with 
American  miners.  In  June,  1827,  the  Winne- 
bago Indians  became  hostile;  this  caused  the 
militia  of  Prairie  du  Chien  to  be  called  out. 
United  States  troops  ascended  the  Wisconsin 
river  to  quell  the  disturbance.  There  they  were 
joined  by  Illinois  volunteers,  and  the  Winneba- 
goes  awed  into  submission.  Fort  Winnebago 
was  thereupon  erected  by  the  general  govern- 
ment at  the  portage,  near  the  present  site  of 
Portage,  Columbia  Co.,  Wis.  A  treaty  with  the 
Indians  followed,  and  there  was  no  more  trouble 
because  of  mining  operations  in  the  "lead 
region."  On  the  9th  of  October,  1829,  a  county 
was  formed  of  all  that  part  of  Crawford  lying 
south  of  the  Wisconsin,  and  named  Iowa.  In 
1831  the  United  States  purchased  of  the  Men- 
omonees  all  their  lands  east  of  Green  bay, 
Winnebago  lake  and  the  Fox  and  Milwaukee 
rivers.  The  general  government,  before  this 
date,  had,  at  several  periods,  held  treaties  with 
the  Sac  and  Fox  Indians.  And  the  time  had 
now  come  when  the  two  tribes  were  to  leave 
the  eastern  for  the  western  side  of  the  Misssi- 
sippi  river;  but  a  band  headed  by  Black  Hawk 
refused  to  leave  their  village  near  Rock  Island, 
111.  They  contended  that  they  h;id  not  sold 
their  town  to  the  United  States;  and  upon  their 
return  early  in  1831,  from  a  hunt  across  the 
Mississippi,  finding  their  village  and  fields  in 
possession  of  the  whites,  they  determined  to 
repossess  their  homes  at  all  hazards.  Tliis  was 
looked  upon,  or  called,  an  encroachment  by  the 
settlers;  so  the  governor  of  Illinois  took  the 
responsibility  of  declaring  the  State  invaded, 
and  asked  the  United  States  to  drive  the  refrac- 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


S3 


.tory  Indians  beyond  the  Mississippi.  The 
result  was,  the  Indian  village  was  destroyed  by 
Illinois  volunteers.  This  and  the  threatened 
advance  across  the  river  by  the  United  States 
commander,  brought  Black  Hawk  and  his  fol- 
lowers to  terras.  They  sued  for  peace — agree- 
ing to  remain  forever  on  the  west  side  of  the 
Mississippi.  But  this  truce  was  of  short  dura- 
tion. 

Early  in  the  spring  of  1832,  Black  Hawk  hav- 
ing assembled  his  forces  on  the   Mississippi  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  locality  where  Fort  Madison 
had  stood,  crossed  that  stream    and   ascended 
Rock  river.     'Ihis  was  the  signal  for  war.    The 
governor  of  Illinois  made  a  call  for  volunteers, 
anil     in    a    brief     space    of     time     1,800    had 
a.ssenibled   at  Beardstown,  Cass  county.     They 
maiched  for  the  mouth  of   Rock  river,  where  a 
council   of   war  was  held  by  their  officers  and 
Brigadier-General   Henry  Atkinson,  of  the  reg- 
ular forces.     The   Indians  were  sent  word   by 
General  Atkinson  that  they  must  return  and  re- 
cross   the   Mississippi  or  they  would  be  driven 
back  by  force.      When  the  attempt  was  made  to 
compel   them   to  go   back  a  collision   occurred 
between  the  Illinois  militia  and  Black  Hawk's 
braves,    resulting   in    the   discomfiture    of   the 
former  with  the  loss  of  eleven  men.     Soon  af- 
terward  the   volunteers   were   disdiarged,    and 
the  first  campaign  of  Black  Hawk's  War  was  at 
an  end      This  was  in   May,  1832.     In  June  fol- 
lowing a   new  force   had    been   raised  and  put 
under  the  command  of   General  Atkinson,  who 
commenced  his  march   up  Rock   river.     Before 
this  there  had  been  a  general   "forting"  in  the 
lead  region,  in  Illinois,  and  including  the  whole 
country  in  what  is  now  Southwest  Wisconsin, 
notwithstanding   which    a    number   of   settlers 
had  been  killed  by  the  savages,  mostly  in   Illi- 
nois.    Squads  of  volunteers,  in  two  or  three  in- 
stances, had   encountered   the  Indians,  and  in 
one  with  entire  succes.s — upon  the  Pecatonica, 
in  the  present  Lafayette  Co.,  Wis. — every  sav- 
age (and  there  were  seventeen  of  them)  being 
killed.     The  loss  of  the  volunteers  was   three 


killed    and    wounded.     Atkinson's    march    up 
Rock  river  was  attended  with  some  skirmish- 
ing,  when,  being  informed   that  Black  Hawk 
and  his  force  were  at  Lake  Koshkonong,  in  the 
southwest  corner  of   what  is  now  JeflEorson  Co., 
Wis.,  he    itnmediately   moved   thither   with    a 
portion  of  his  army,  where  the  whole  force  was 
ordered    to    concentrate.     But   the  Sac    chief, 
with    his    people,  had    flown.     Colonels  Henry 
Dodge   and  James  D.  Henry,  with   the  forces 
under  them,  discovered  the  trail  of  the  savages, 
leading  in  the  direction  of  Wisconsin  river.     It 
was  evident  that  the  retreating  force  was  large, 
and  that  it  had  but  recently  passed.     The  pur- 
suing  troops   hastened   their   march.     On   the 
21st  of   July,    18T2,  they    arrived  at  the   hills 
which  skirt  the   left  bank   of  that   stream,  in 
what  is  now  Roxbury  town   (township),  Dane 
county.     Here  was  Black  Hawk's  whole  force, 
including  women   and  children,  the  aged  and 
infirm,   hastening   by   every   effort    to    escape 
across  the   river.     But  that  this  might  now  be 
effected  it  became  necessary  for  that  chief  to 
make  a  firm  stand,  to  cover  the  retreat.     The 
Indians  were  in  the  bottom  lands  when  the  ]>ur- 
suing  whites  made   their  appearance   upon  the 
heiglits  in  their  rear.     Colonel  Dodge  occupied 
the  front  and  sustained   the  first  attack  of  the 
Indians.     He  was  soon   joined  by  Henry  with 
his  force,  when   they  obtained  a  complete  vic- 
tory.    The  action  commenced  about  5  o'clock 
in    the   afternoon    and   ended  at   sunset.     The 
enemy  sustained  a  loss,  it  is  said,  of  about  sixty 
killed  and  a  large  number  wounded.*     The  loss 
of   the    Americans    was   one    killed    and    eight 
wounded.     During  the  following   night   Black 
Hawk  made  his  escape  down    the  Wisconsin. 
He  was   pursued  and  finally  brought  to  a  stand 
on  the  Mississippi  near  the   mouth   of  the   Bad 
Axe,  on  the  western    boundary  of  what  is  now 
Vernon   Co.,   Wis.;   and  on   the  2d   of  August 
attacked   on   all    sides   by  the   Americans,  who 
soon  obtained  a  complete  victory.    Black  Hawk 
esca))ed,    but   was    soon    after  captured.     This 
ended  the  war. 

*lllack  thiwk  ^ivrQ  ii  \  ri-y  rtlfforoitt  n<'ooniit  ap  to  hi:^ 
Inss  "In  Ibis  skiiniisli."  snys  lie,  "with  Itfty  braves  I  de- 
fcn'UHl  and  Hcconiplisht-d  my  i)U«sago  over  thi*  Wisconaiii 
with  a  loss  of  nuly  sijt  men." 


34 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


The  survey  of  public  lands  to  which  the  In- 
dian title  had  been  extinguished;  the  erection 
of  Milwaukee  county  from  the  southern  part  of 
Brown;  the  changing  of  the  eastern  boundary 
of  Fowa  county  to  correspond  with  the  western 
one  of  Milwaukee  county;  the  attaching,  for 
judicial  purposes,  of  all  the  country  west  of  the 
Mississippi  river  and  north  of  the  State  of  Mis- 
souri to  the  territory  of  Michigan  in  1834,  and 
the  division  of  it  into  the  two  counties  of  Des 
Moines  and  Dubuque,  were  the  important  events 
following  the  close  of  the  Black  Hawk  war. 
The    prospective    admission   of    the   State   of 


Michigan  into  the  Union,  to  include  all  that 
part  of  the  territory  lying  east  of  Lake  Michi- 
gan, caused,  on  the  1st  of  January,  1836,  a  ses- 
sion (the  first  one)  of  the  seventh  territorial 
council,  to  legislate  for  so  much  of  the  terri- 
tory as  lay  to  the  westward  of  that  lake,  to  be 
held    at    Green    Bay,    when  a    memorial    was 

adopted,  asking  Congress  for  the  formation  of 
a  new  territory,  to  include  all  of  Michigan  ter- 
ritory not  to  be  admitted  as  a  State.  This  re- 
([uest,  it  will  now  be  seen,  was  soon  complied 
with  by  the  National  Legislature. 


CHAPTER      II. 


WISCONSIN  AS  A  TERRITORY. 


The  Territory  of  Wisconsin*  was  erected  by 
act  of  Congress  of  April  20,  1836,  to  take  effect 
from  and   after  the   3d  day  of  July  following. 

♦Wisconsin  takes  its  name  from  its  principal  river, 
which  drains  an  extensive  portion  of  its  surface.  It  rises  in 
Ijake  Vieux  Desert  (which  is  partly  in  Michigan  and  partly 
In  Wisconsin),  flows  generally  a  south  course  to  Portage  in 
what  is  now  Columhia  county,  where  it  turns  to  the  south- 
we-t,  and  after  a  further  course  of  118  miles,  with  a  rapid 
cuiTCnt.  reaches  the  Mississippi  river,  four  miles  below  Prai- 
rie du  Chien.  Its  entire  length  is  about  iriO  miles,  descending, 
in  that  distance,  a  little  more  than  1,000  feet.  Along  the 
lower  portion  of  the  stream  are  the  high  lands,  or  river  hills. 
Some  of  these  hills  present  high  and  precipitous  faces  to- 
ward the  water.  Others  terminate  ia  knobs.  The  name  is 
supposed  to  have  been  taken  from  this  feature:  the  word 
being  derived  from  ?7ii-s-i.s,  great,  and  ns-sin,  a  stone  or  rock. 

Compare  Shea's  Discovoil  fold  Explnratinn  of  the  MissiJi- 
sinpi.  pp.  6  (note*  and  2fi8;  Foster's  Mississippi  VaUeu,  p.  2 
motel;  Schoolcraft's  Tliirty  Tears  with  the  Indian  Tribe)!,  p. 
2'nand  note. 

Two  definitions  of  the  word  are  current — as  widel.v  differ- 
ing from  each  other  as  from  the  one  just  given.  (See  Wis. 
Hist.  Soc.  Coll.,  Vol.  I  ,  p.  Ill,  and  (Vebster's  Die,  Una- 
bi-idged.  p. 16-32.)  The  first— "the  gathering  of  the  waters"— 
has  no  corresponding  words  in  Algonquin  at  all  resembliug 
the  name;  the  same  may  be  said  of  the  second— "wild  rush- 
ing channel."    (See  Otchipwe  Die.  of  Kev.  P.  Baragii. 

Since  first  used  by  the  French  the  word  '  'Wisconsin"  has 
'inderg(^ne  considerable  change.  On  the  map  by  Joliet,  re- 
cently brought  to  light  by  Gravier,  it  is  given  as  "Miskon- 
«'ng  "  In  Marquette's  journal,  published  by  Thevenot.  in 
Paris.  1681.  it  is  noted  as  the  "Meskousing."  It  appeared 
ihereforthe  first  time  in  print.  Hennepin,  in  1683,  wrote 
••Qnisconsin"  and  "Misconsin;"  Charlevoix.  1743.  "Ouis- 
consin:"  Carver.  1766,  "Ouisconsin"  (English— "Wiscou- 
sin");  since  which  last  mentioned  date  the  orthography  has 
been  uniform.— Butterfleld's  IHacmx/ry  of  Wi«  Nurthwest  in 


It  was  made  to  include  all  that  part  of  the  late 
Michigan  territory  described  within  boundaries 
"commencing  at  the  northeast  corner  of  the 
State  of  Illinois,  running  thence  through  the 
middle  of  Lake  Michigan  to  a  point  opposite 
the  main  channel  of  Green  bay;  thence  tlirough 
that  channel  and  the  bay  to  the  mouth  of  the 
Menomonee  river;  thence  up  that  stream  to  its 
head,  which  is  nearest  the  lake  of  the  Desert; 
thence  to  the  middle  of  that  lake;  thence  down 
the  Montreal  river  to  its  mouth;  thence  with  a 
direct  line  across  Lake  Superior  to  where  the 
territorial  line  of  the  United  States!  ast  touches 
the  lake  northwest;  thence  on  the  north,  witli 
the  territorial  line,  to  the  White  Earth  river; 
on  the  west  by  a  line  drawn  down  the  middle 
of  the  main  cliannel  of  that  stream  to  the  Mis- 
souri river,  and  down  the  middle  of  the  main 
channel  of  the  last  mentioned  stream  to  thf 
northwest  corner  of  the  State  of  Missouri;  and 
thence  with  the  boundaries  of  the  States  of 
Missouri  and  Illinois,  as  already  fixed  by  act  of 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


35 


Congress,  to  the  place  or  point  of  beginning." 
Its  counties  were  Brown,  Milwaukee,  Iowa, 
Crawford,  Dubuque  and  Des  Moines,  witli  a 
portion  of  Chippewa  and  Michiliraackinac  un- 
organized. Henry  Dodge  was  commissioned 
governor  April  :S0,  li^-SC;  Charles  Dunn,  chief 
justice,  and  David  Trvin  and  William  C.  Frazer 
associate  justices;  by  Andrew  Jackson,  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States.  The  following  were 
the  secretaries,  attorneys  and  marshals,  with 
the  dates  of  their  commissions  who  held 
office  while  the  territory  was  in  existence  : 

SBCRBTARIES. 

John  S.  Horner,  May  0,  1836;  William  B. 
Slaughter,  Feb.  16,  1837;  Francis  I.  Dunn,  Jan. 
25,  1841;  Alexander  P.  Field,  April  23,  1841; 
George  Floyd,  Oct.  30.  1843;  John  Catlin,  Feb. 
24,  1846. 

UNITED    STATES    ATTORNEYS. 

W.  W.  Chapman,  May  6,  1836;  Moses  M. 
Strong,  July  5,  1838;  Thomas  W.  Sutherland, 
April    27,    1841;    William   P.  Lynde,  July    14, 

1845. 

UNITED    STATES    MARSHALS. 

Francis  Gehon,  May  6,  1836;  Edward  James, 
June  19,  1838;  Daniel  Ilugunin,  March  15, 
1841;  Charles  M.  Prevost,  Aug.  31,  1844;  John 
S.  Rockwell,  March  14,  1845. 

The  first  important  measure  to  he  looked  af- 
ter by  Governor  Dodge  upon  his  assuming,  in 
the  spring  of  1836,  the  executive  chair  of  the 
territory  was  the  organization  of  the  territorial 
Legislature.  A  census  showed  the  following 
population  east  of  the  Mississippi :  Milwaukee 
county,  2,893;  Brown  county,  2,706;  Crawford 
county,  850;  Iowa  county.  5,234.  Total,  1 1,683. 
The  enumeration  for  the  two  counties  west  of 
the  Mississippi  was — Des  Moities,  6,257;  Du- 
buque, 4,274.  Total,  10,531.  The  population, 
therefore,  of  both  sides  of  the  river  aggregated 
22,214.  The  legislative  apportionment,  made 
by  the  governor,  gave  to  the  territory  thirteen 
councilmen  and  twenty-six  representatives. 
These,  of  course,  were  to  be  elected  by  the  peo- 
ple.    The    election    was    held    Oct.    10,   1836. 


Belmont,  in  the  present  county  of  Lafayette, 
Wis.,  was  appointed  as  the  place  for  the  meet- 
ing of  the  Legislature,  where  the  first  session 
began  October  25.  A  quorum  of  each  house 
was  in  attendance.  Henry  S.  Baird,  of  Green 
Bay,  wai  elected  president  of  the  council,  and 
Peter  H.  Engle  speaker  of  the  house. 

The  following  persons  served  as  presidents 
of  the  council  while  Wisconsin  was  a  territory  : 

First  session,  first  Legislative  Assembly, 
Henry  S.  Baird,  Brown  county. 

Second  session,  first  Legislative  Assembly, 
Arthur  R.  Ingraham,  Des  Moines  county. 

Special  session,  first  Legislative  Assembly, 
Arthur  R.  Ingraham,  Des  Moines  county. 

First  session,  second  Legislative  Assembly, 
William  Bullen,  Racine  county. 

Second  session,  second  Legislative  Assembly, 
James  Collins,  Iowa  county. 

Third  session,  second  Legislative  Assembly, 
James  Collins,  Iowa  county. 

Fourth  (extra)  session,  second  Legislative 
Assembly,  William  A.  Prentiss,  Milwaukee 
county. 

First  session,  third  Legislative  Assembly. 
James  Maxwell,  W^alworth  county. 

Second  session,  third  Legislative  Assembly, 
James  Collins,  Iowa  county. 

First  session,  fourth  Legislative  Assembly, 
Moses  M.  Strong,  Iowa  county. 

Second  session,  fourth  Legislative  Assembly, 
Marshal  M.  Strong,  Racine  county. 

Third  session,  fourth  Legislative  Assembly, 
Moses  M.  Strong,  Iowa  county. 

Fourth  session,  fourth  Legislative  Assembly, 
Nelson  Dewey,  Grant  county. 

First  session,  fifth  Legislative  Assembly, 
Horatio  N.  Wells,  Milwaukee  county. 

>'pecial  session,  fifth  Legislative  Assembly, 
Horatio  N.  Wells,  Milwaukee  county. 

Second  session,  fifth  Legislative  Assembly, 
Horatio  N.  Wells,  Milwaukee  county. 

The  following  persons  served  as  speakers  of 
the  House  during  llie  t-.intinu.iiioe  i>f  Wisi-ou- 
sin  territorv  : 


36 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


First  session,  first  Legislative  Assembly, 
Peter  H.  Engle,  Dubuque  county. 

Sec.ontl  session,  first  Legislative  Assembly, 
Isaac  Leffler,  Des  Moines  county. 

Special  session,  first  Legislative  Assembly, 
William  B.  Sheldon,  Milwaukee  county. 

First  session,  second  Legislative  Assembly, 
John  W.  Blackstone,  Iowa  county. 

Second  session,  second  Legislative  Assembly, 
Lucius  I.  Barber,  Milwaukee  county. 

Third  session,  second  Legislalive  Assembly, 
Edward  V.  Whiton,  Rock  county. 

Fourth  (extra)  session,  second  Legislative 
Assembly,  Nelson  Dewey,  Grant  county. 

First  session,  third  Legislative  Assembly, 
David  Newland,  Iowa  county. 

Second  session,  third  Legislative  Assembly 
David  Newland,  Iowa  county. 

First  session,  fourth  Legislative  Assembly, 
Albert  G.  Ellis,  Portage  county. 

Second  session,  fourth  Legislative  Assembly, 
George  H.  Walker,  Milwaukee  county. 

Third  session,  fourth  Lesjislative  Assembly, 
George  II.  Walker,  Milwaukee  counly. 

Fourth  session,  fourth  Legislative  Assembly, 
Mason  C.  Darling,  Fond  du  Lac  county. 

First  session,  fifth  Legislative  Assembly, 
William  Shew,  Milwaukee  county. 

Special  session,  fifth  Legislative  Assembly, 
Isaac  P.  Walker,  Milwaukee  county. 

Second  session,  fifth  Legislative  Assembly, 
Timothy  i3urns,  Iowa  county. 

Each  of  the  tiiree  branches  of  the  infant  gov- 
ernment was  now  (October,  1836)  in  working 
order,  except  that  it  remained  for  the  Legisla- 
tive Assembly  to  divide  the  territory  into  three 
judicial  districts,  the  number  required  bv  the 
organic  act,  and  make  an  assignment  of  the 
judges.  This  was  speedily  done.  Crawford 
and  Iowa  constituted  the  first  district,  to  which 
the  chief  justice  was  assigned;  Dubuque  and 
Dc'S  Moines  the  second,  to  which  judge  Irvin 
was  assigned;  and  Judge  Frazer  to  the  third, 
consisting  of  Milwaukee  and  Brown  counties. 
The  principal  matters   engaging   the  attention 


of  the  legislators  were  the  permanent  location 
of  the  capitol,  the  erection  of  new  counties  and 
the  location  of  county  seats.  Madison  was  fixed 
upon  as  the  seat  of  government;  and  nine  coun- 
ties were  erected  east  of  the  Mississippi:  Wal 
worth,  Racine,  Jefferson,  Dane,  Dodge,  Wash- 
ington, Rock,  Grant  and  Green.  West  of  the 
river  six  counties  were  set  off:  Lee,  Van 
Buren,  Henry,  Louisa,  Muscatine  and  Cook. 
The  Legislature  adjourned  sine  die,  Dec.  9, 
1886.  Tiie  first  term  of  the  supreme  court  was 
held  at  Belmont  on  the  the  8th  day  of  Decem- 
ber, of  that  year.  The  appointment  of  a  clerk, 
crier  and  reporter,  and  the  admission  of  several 
attorneys  to  practice,  completed  the  business  of 
the  first  term.  The  following  persons  served 
as  clerks  while  Wisconsin  was  a  territory: 

John  Catlin,  appointed  at  December  term, 
1836;  Simeon  Mills,  appointed  at  Jul)'  term, 
18.39;  La  Fayette  Kellogg,  appointed  at  July 
term,  1840.  Gov.  Dodge,  appointed  Dec.  8,  18.36, 
Henry  S.  Baird,  as  attorney  general.  His 
successors  were  as  follows: 

Horatio  N.  Wells,  appointed  by  Gov.  Dodge, 
March  :30,  1839;  Mortimer  M.  Jackson,  ap- 
pointed by  Gov.  Dodge,  Jan.  26,  1842;  William 
Pitt  Lynde,  appointed  by  Gov.  Talimage,  Feb. 
22,  1845;  A.  Hyatt  Smith,  appointed  by  Gov. 
Dodge  Aug.  4,  1845.  Upon  the  organization  of 
the  territory  in  1830,  it  was  necessary  that  it 
should  be  represented  in  the  National  Legisla- 
ture; so  on  the  day  of  the  election  of  the  terri- 
torial Legislature,  George  W.  Jones,  of  Iowa 
county,  was  chosen  a  delegate  in  Congress.  His 
successors  were: 

James  Duane  Doty,  elected  Sept.  10,  1838; 
James  Duane  Doty,  elected  Aug.  5,  1840;  Henry 
Dodge,  elected  Sept.  21,  1841;  Henry  Dodge, 
elected  Sept.  25,  1843;  Morgan  L.  Martin, 
elected  Sept.  22,  1845;  John  H.  Tweedy, 
elected  Sept.  6,  1847. 

At  the  close  of  the  year  1836,  there  was  no 
land  in  market  east  of  the  Mississippi,  except  a 
narrow  strip  along  the  shore  of  Lake  Michigan, 
and  in  the  vicinity  of   Green  bay.     The  residue 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


37 


of  tlie  country  south  and  east  of  the  Wisconsin 
and  Fox  rivers  was  open  only  to  pre-emption  by 
actual  settlers.  Tiie  Indian  tribes  still  claimed 
a  larye  portion  ot  the  lands.  On  the  north  were 
located  the  Chippewas.  The  soutliern  limits 
of  their  possessions  were  defined  by  a  line  drawn 
from  a  point  on  that  stream  in  about  latitude 
46  degrees  31  minutes  in  a  southeasterly  direc- 
tion to  the  head  of  Lake  St.  Croix;  thence  in 
the  same  general  direction  to  what  is  now 
Stevens  Point,  in  tlie  present  Portage  Co.,  W's.; 
thence  nearly  east  to  Wolf  river;  and  thence  in 
a  direction  nearly  northeast  to  the  Menomonee 
river.  Between  the  Wisconsin  river  and  the 
Mississippi,  and  extending  north  to  the  south 
line  of  the  Chippewas  was  the  territory  of  th» 
Winnehagoes.  Eastof  the  Winnebagocs  in  the 
country  north  of  the  Fox  river  of  Green  bay 
were  located  the  Menomonees,  their  lands  ex- 
tending to  Wolf  river.  Sucli  was  the  general 
outline  of  Indian  occupancy  in  Wisconsin  terri- 
tory, east  of  the  Mississippi,  at  its  organization. 
A  portion  of  the  country  east  of  Wolf  river  and 
north  of  Green  bay  and  the  Fox  rivei';  tiie 
wliole  of  the  area  lying  south  of  Green  bay, 
Fox  river  and  the  Wisconsin,  ctmstituted  the 
extent  of  country  over  which  the  Indians  Iiad 
no  claim.  In  this  region,  as  we  have  seen,  was 
a  populatian  of  about  12,000,  it  was  made  np 
of  the  scattered  settlers  at  tiie  lead  mines; 
the  military  establishments,  (I'ort  Crawford, 
Fort  Winnebago  and  Fort  Howard),  and  settli- 
ments  at  or  near  them;  and  the  village  of 
Milw  aukee;  these  were  about  all  the  parts  of 
the  territory  east  of  the  Mississippi,  at  that 
date,  occupied  to  any  extent  by  the  whites. 

The  second  session  of  the  first  Legislative  As- 
sembly of  the  territory  of  Wi.<consin,  began  at 
Burlington,  now  the  county  seatof  Des  Moines 
Co.,  Iowa,  Nov.  0,  1837,  and  adjourned  .Tan.  -JO, 
183H,  to  the  second  Monday  of  June  following. 
Tlu'  |)rincipal  acts  passe  1  were,  one  for  taking 
another  census;  one  al)olishing  imprisonment  for 
debt;  another  regulating  the  s;ile  of  scliool 
lauds  and  to  prepare  for  organizing,  reg- 
ulating and  perfecting  schools.  There 
was     also     one     passed      incorporating      the 


Milwaukee  and  Rock  River  Canal  Company. 
This  was  approved  by  the  governor,  Jan.  5, 
1838.  By  an  act  of  Congress  approved  June  18 
of  the  same  year,  a  grant  of  land  was  made  to 
aid  in  the  construction  of  the  canal.  The  grant 
consisted  of  the  odd-numbered  sections  on  a 
belt  of  ten  miles  in  width  from  Lake  Michigan 
to  Rock  river,  amounting  to  139,190  acres.  Of 
those  lands  43,447  acres  were  sold  at  public 
sale  in  July,  1839,  at  the  minimum  price 
of  $2.50  per  acre.  W^ork  was  commenced  on 
the  canal  at  Milwaukee,  and  the  Milwaukee 
river  for  a  short  distance  from  its  outlet  was 
improved  by  the  construction  of  a  dam  across 
the  river,  which  was  made  available  for  manu- 
facturing and  other  purposes.  A  canal  was 
also  built  about  a  mile  in  length  and  forty 
feet  wide,  leading  from  it  down  on  the  west 
bank  of  the  river.  Much  dissatisfaction  subse- 
(juently  arose;  the  purchasers  at  this  sale,  and 
others  occupying  these  canal  and  reserved 
lands  felt  the  injustice  of  being  compelled  to 
pay  double  price  for  their  lands,  and  efforts 
were  made  to  repeal  all  laws  authorizing  fur- 
thersales,  and  to  ask  Congress  to  repeal  the  act 
making  this  grant.  The  legislation  on  the  sub- 
ject of  this  grant  is  voluminous.  In  18G2  the 
Legislature  of  the  State  passed  an  act  to  ascer- 
tain and  settle  the  liabilities,  if  any,  of  Wis- 
cotisin  and  the  company,  and  a  board  of  com- 
missioners was  appointed  for  that  purpose.  At 
the  session  of  the  Legislature  in  1SC3,  the  com- 
mittee made  a  report  with  a  lengthy  opinion  of 
the  attorney-general  of  the  State.  The  views 
of  that  officer  were,  that  the  company  had  no 
valid  claims  for  damages  against  the  State.  In 
this  opinion  the  commissioners  concurred.  On 
the  23d  of  March,  1875,  an  act  was  approved  by 
the  governor,  giving  authority  to  the  attorney- 
general  to  discharge  and  release  of  record  any 
mortgage  before  executed  to  the  late  territory 
of  Wisconsin  given  to  secure  the  purchase 
money  or  any  part  thereof  of  any  lands  granted 
by  Congress  to  aid  in  the  construction  of  this 
canal.     'I'he  quantity  of  lands  unsold    was    sub- 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


seqnently  made  a  part  of  the  500,000  acre  tract 
granted  by  Congress  for  school  purposes.  It  is 
believed  the  whole  matter  is  now  closed 
against  further  legislative  enactments. 

There  was  another  important  act  parsed  by 
the  territorial  Legislature  of  1837-8,  by  which 
fourteen  counties  were  erected,  but  all  of  them 
west  of  the  Mississippi.  The  census  having 
been  taken  in  May,  a  special  session  of  the 
first  Legislative  Assembly  was  commenced  June 
11, 1838,  at  Burlington,  continuing  to  June  25,  of 
that  year.  This  session  was  pursuant  to  an 
adjournment  of  the  previous  one,  mainly  for 
the  purpose  of  making  a  new  apportionment  of 
members.  The  population  of  the  several 
counties  east  of  the  Mississippi  was,  by  the 
May  census,  18,149.  By  an  act  of  Congress, 
approved  June  12,  1838,  it  was  provided  that 
from  and  after  the  3d  day  of  July  following,  all 
that  part  of  Wisconsin  territory  lying  west  of 
that  river  and  west  of  a  line  drawn  due  north 
from  its  headwaters  or  sources  to  the  territorial 
line  for  the  purposes  of  a  territorial  govern- 
ment should  be  set  apart  and  known  by  the 
name  of  Iowa.  It  was  further  enacted  that 
the  territory  of  Wisconsin  should  thereafter 
extend  westward  only  to  the  Mississippi.  Be- 
cause of  the  passage  of  this  act,  the  one  passed 
at  the  special  session  of  the  territorial  Legisla- 
ture making  an  apportionment  of  members,  be- 
came nugatory — that  duty  now  devolving 
upon  Gov.  Doty.  On  the  third  Monday  of  July, 
1838,  the  annual  term  of  supreme  court  was 
held  at  Madison  this,  of  course,  being  the  first 
one  after  the  re-organization  of  the  territory; 
the  previous  one  was  not  held,  as  there  was  no 
business  for  the  court.  On  the  18th  of  October, 
Judge  Frazer  died,  and  on  the  8th  of  Novem- 
ber, Andrew  G.  Miller  was  appointed  his  suc- 
cessor, by  Martin  Van  Buren,  President  of  ilie 
United  States. 

The  Legislature  of  the  re-organized  territory 
of  Wisconsin  met  at  Madison  for  the  first  time 
— it  being  the  first  session  of  the  second  Legis- 
lative Assembly — Nov.  26,  1838.     Its  attention 


was  directed  to  the  mode  in  which  the  commis- 
sioners of  public  buildings  had  discharged  their 
duties.  There  was  an  investigation  of  three 
banks  then  in  operation  in  the  territory — one 
at  Green  Bay,  one  at  Mineral  Point,  and  the 
other  at  Milwaukee.  A  plan,  also,  for  the 
revision  of  the  laws  of  the  territory  was  con- 
sidered. A  new  assignment  was  made  for  the 
holding  of  district  courts.  Chief  Justice  Dunn 
was  assigned  to  the  first  district,  composed  of 
the  counties  of  Iowa,  Grant  and  Crawford; 
Judge  Irvin  to  the  second,  composed  of  the 
counties  of  Dane,  Jefferson,  Rock,  Walworth 
and  Green;  while  Judge  Miller  was  assigned  to 
the  third  district,  composed  of  Milwaukee, 
Brown  and  Racine  counties — including  therein 
the  unorganized  counties  of  Washington  and 
Dodge,  which,  for  judicial  purposes,  were, 
when  constituted,  by  name  and  boundary,  at- 
tached to  Milwaukee  county.  'I  he  Legislature 
adjourned  on  the  22d  of  December,  to  meet 
again  on  the  21st  of  the  followinsr month.  Tiie 
census  having  been  taken  during  the  year,  it 
was  found  that  the  territory  had  a  population 
,.f  18,130,  an  increase  in  two  years,  of  6,-147. 
The  second  session  of  the  second  Legislative 
Assembly  began  Jan.  21,  1839,  agreeable  to 
adjournment.  An  act  was  passed  during  this  ses- 
sion legalizing  a  revision  of  the  laws  which  had 
been  perfected  by  a  committee  previously;  this 
act  took  effect  July  4,  and  composed  the  princi- 
pal part  of  the  laws  forming  the  revised  statutes 
of  1839.  The  session  ended  March  11,  1839. 
On  the  8th  of  March  of  this  year,  Henry  Dodge, 
whose  term  for  three  years  as  governor  was 
about  to  expire,  was  again  commissioned  by 
the  President  of  the  United  States.  At  the 
July  term  of  the  supreme  court,  all  the  judges 
were  present,  and  several  cases  were  heard  and 
decided.  A  seal  for  the  court  was  also  adopted. 
From  this  time,  the  supreme  court  met  annu- 
ally, as  provided  by  law,  until  Wisconsin  be- 
came a  State. 

The    next  Legislature  assembled  at  Madison, 
on    the   2d    of  December,    1839.     This  was  the 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


39 


third  session  of  the  second  Legislative  Assem- 
bly of  the  territory.  The  term  for  which  raem- 
berB  of  the  house  were  elected  would  soon 
expire  ;  it  was  therefore  desirable  that  a  new 
apportionment  should  be  made.  As  the  census 
would  be  taken  the  ensuing  June,  by  the 
United  States,  it  would  be  unnecessary  for  the 
territory  to  make  an  additional  enumeration. 
A  short  session  was  resolved  upon,  and  then 
an  adjournment  until  after  the  completion  of 
the  census.  One  of  the  subjects  occupying 
largely  the  attention  of  the  members,  was  tlie 
condition  of  the  capitol,  and  the  conduct  of  the 
commissioners  intrusted  with  the  money  ap- 
propriated by  Congress  to  defray  the  cost  of  its 
construction.  These  commissioners  were  James 
Duane  Doly,  A.  A.  Bird  and  .John  F.  O'Neill. 
They  received  their  appointment  from  ttie 
general  government.  Work  began  on  the 
building  in  June,  ISST,  the  corner  stone  being 
laid  witii  appropriate  ceremonies  July  4.  During 
that  year  and  the  previous  one,  Congress  ap- 
propriated %40,00n,  Dane  county  S4,00(i,  and 
the  territorial  Legislature,  about  §16,000,  for 
the  structure  ;  so  that  the  entire  cost  was  about 
$60,000.  The  building,  when  finished,  was  a 
substantial  structure,  wliiuh,  in  architectural 
design  and  convenience  of  arrangement,  com- 
pared favorably  with  the  ca])ito!s  of  adjacent 
and  older  Slates.  Tlie  capitol  proving  inade- 
quate to  the  growing  wants  of  the  Slate,  the 
Legislature  of  I  S.iT  provided  for  its  enlarge- 
ment. By  this  act,  the  commissioners  of  school 
and  university  lands  were  directed  to  sell  the 
ten  sections  of  land  appropriated  by  (Congress 
"for  the  completion  of  public  buildings,''  and 
apply  the  proceeds  toward  enlarging  and  im- 
proving the  State  capitol.  The  State  also  ap- 
propriated $.30,000  for  the  same  object,  and 
ISO, 000  was  given  by  the  city  of  Madison. 
The  governor  and  secretary  of  Stale  were 
made  commissioners  for  conducting  llie  work, 
which  was  begun  in  the  fall  of  1857,  and  con- 
tinued from  year  to  year  until  1869,  when  the 
dome  was  completed.     The  Legislature  of  18^2 


appropriated  $200,000  for  the  construction  of 
two  transverse  wings  to  the  capitol  building, 
one  on  the  north  and  the  other  on  the  south 
sides  thereof,  in  order  to  provide  additional 
room  for  the  State  historical  society,  the 
supreme  court,  the  State  library,  and  for  the 
increasing  work  of  the  State  offices.  The  gov- 
ernor, secretary  of  Slate,  attorney  general, 
with  others,  representing  the  supreme  court 
and  the  historical  society,  were  made  commis- 
sioners for  carrying  out  the  work.  The  cost 
will  be  within  the  amount  appropriated  by  the 
State.  The  total  appropriations  for  the  en- 
largement of  the  capitol  and  for  the  improve- 
ment of  the  park,  to  the  present  time,  are  $629, 
992.54.  This  does  not  include  the  sum  of 
$0,500  appropriated  in  1875,  for  macadamizing 
to  the  center  of  the  streets  around  the  park, 
nor  the  $200,000  appropriated  in  1882.  The 
park  is  914  feet  square,  cornering  north,  soulli, 
east  and  west,  contains  fourteen  and  four-tenths 
acres,  and  is  situated  on  an  elevation  command- 
ing a  view  of  the  third  and  fourth  lakes  and 
the  surrounding  country.  In  the  center  of  tlie 
square  stands  the  capitol.  The  height  of  the 
building  from  the  basement  to  the  top  of  tin- 
flag  staff  is  225^  feet,  while  the  total  length  of 
its  north  and  south  wings,  exclusive  of  steps 
and  porticoes,  with  the  addition  of  the  new 
wings,  is  396  feet,  and  of  the  east  and  west 
wings,  226  feet. 

Tiie  Legislature  of  18.39-40,  adjourned  Janu- 
ary 13,  to  meet  again  on  the  3d  of  the  ensuing 
August.  The  completion  of  the  federal  census 
of  1840  showed  a  population  for  the  territory  of 
30,744.  Upon  the  re-assembling  of  the  Legisla- 
ture— which  is  known  as  the  extra  session  of 
the  second  Legislative  Assembly — some  changes 
were  made  in  the  apportionment  of  members  to 
the  House  of  Representatives.  The  session 
lasted  but  a  few  days,  a  final  adjournment 
taking  place  Aug.  14,  1840.  The  first  session 
of  the  third  Legislative  Assembly  began  Dec.  7, 
1S40,  and  ended  Feb.  19,  1841,  with  only  three 
members  who  had  served  in  the  previous  Assem- 


40 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


bly.  All  had  recently  been  elected  under  the 
new  apportionment. 

On  the  13lh  of  September,  1S41,  Gov.  Dodge 
was  removed  from  office  by  John  Tyler,  then 
President  of  the  United  States,  and  James 
Duane  Doty  appointed  in  his  place,  the  com- 
mission of  the  latter  being  dated  the  5th  of 
October  following. 

The  second  session  of  the  third  Legislative 
Assembly  began  at  Madison,  on  the  6th  of 
December,  1841.  Gov.  Doty,  in  his  message  to 
that  body,  boldly  avowed  the  doctrine  that  no 
law  of  the  territory  was  effective  until  expressly 
approved  by  Congress.  This  construction  of 
the  organic  act  resulted  in  a  lengthy  warfare 
between  the  governor  and  the  Legislative  As- 
sembly. On  the  nth  of  February,  1842,  an 
event  occurred  in  the  Legislative  council,  caus- 
ing a  great  excitement  over  the  whole  territory. 
On  that  day,  Charles  C.  P.  Arndt,  a  member 
from  Brown  county,  was,  while  that  body  was 
in  session,  shot  dead  by  James  R.  Vineyard,  a 
member  from  Grant  county.  The  difficulty 
grew  out  of  a  debate  on  a  motion  to  lay  on  the 
table  the  nomination  of  Enos  S.  Baker  to  the 
office  of  sheriff  of  Grant  county.  Immediately 
before  adjournment  of  the  council,  the  parties 
who  had  come  together,  after  loud  and  angry 
words  had  been  spoken,  were  separated  by  the 
by-standers.  When  an  adjournment  had  been 
announced,  they  met  again  ;  whereupon  Arndt 
struck  at  Vineyard.  The  latter  then  drew  a 
pistol  and  shot  Arndt.  He  died  in  a  few  mo- 
ments. Vineyard  immediately  surrendered  him- 
self to  the  sheriff  of  the  county,  waived  an  ex- 
amination, and  was  committed  to  jail.  After  a 
short  confinement,  he  was  brought  before  the 
chief  justice  of  the  territory,  on  a  writ  of  habects 
corpus,  and  admitted  to  bail.  He  was  after- 
ward indicted  for  manslaughter,  was  tried  and 
acquitted.  Three  days  after  shooting  Arndt, 
Vineyard  sent  in  his  resignation  as  member  of 
the  council.  That  body  refused  to  receive  it, 
or  to  have  it  read  even  ;  but  at  once  expelled 
him.     The  second  and  last  session  of  the  third 


Legislative  Assembly  came  to  a  close  Feb.  18, 
1842. 

For  the  next  six  years  there  were  seven  ses- 
sions of  the  territorial  legislature,  as  follows: 
First  session,  4th  Legislative  Assembly,  com- 
menced Dec.  5,  1842,  ended  April  17,  1843; 
second  sesssion,  4th  Legislative  Assembly,  com- 
menced Dec.  4,  1843,  ended  Jan.  31,  1844; 
third  session,  4th  Legislative  Assembly,  com- 
menced Jan.  C,  1845,  ended  Feb.  24,  1845; 
fourth  session,  4th  Legislative  Assembly,  com- 
menced Jan  5, 1 846,  ended  Feb.  3, 1846;  first  ses- 
sion,5th  Legislative  Assembly, commenced  Jan. 4, 
1847,  ended  Feb.  11,  1847;  special  session,  5th 
Legislative  Assembly,  commenced  Oct.  18, 
1847,  ended  Oct.  27,  1847;  second  session,  5th 
Legislative  Assembly,  commenced  Feb.  7,  1848, 
ended  March  13,  1848. 

The  members  of  the  first  session  of  the 
fourth  legislative  assembly  had  been  elected 
unded  a  new  apportionment  based  upon  a 
census  taken  in  June,  showing  a  total  popula- 
tion of  46,678.  In  each  house  there  was  a 
democratic  majority.  Gov.  Doty  was  a 
whig.  It  was  a  stormy  session.  After  the  two 
houses  had  organized,  the  governor  refused  to 
communicate  with  them,  as  a  body  legally 
assembled,  according  to  the  organic  act,  he 
claiming  that  no  appropriation  for  that  object 
had  been  made  by  Congress.  The  houses  con- 
tinued in  session  until  the  10th  day  of  December, 
when  they  adjourned  until  the  13th  of  January, 
1843,  they  having  meanwhile  made  representa- 
tion to  the  National  Legislature,  then  in  session, 
of  the  objections  of  the  governor.  It  was  not 
until  the  -fth  of  February  that  a  quorum  in  both 
houses  had  assembled.  Previous  to  this.  Con- 
gress had  made  an  appropriation  to  cover  the 
expenses  of  the  session;  and  the  governor,  on 
the  13th  of  January,  had  issued  a  proclamation 
convening  a  special  session  on  the  6th  of  March. 
Both  houses  in  February  adjourned  to  the  day 
fixed  by  the  governor,  which  ended  the  troubles; 
and  the  final  adjournment  look  place,  as  already 
stated,  April  17,  1843.  Nathaniel  P.  Tallmadge 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


41 


was  appointed  governor  in  place  of  Doty  on 
the  21st  of  June,  1844,  his  eomniission  bearing 
(late  the  ICtli  of  September.  .Tame.s  K.  Polk 
having  been  elected  President  of  the  United 
States  in  the  fall  of  that  year,  Henry  Dudge 
was  again  put  in  the  executive  chair  of  the  ter- 
ritory, receiving  his  appointment  April  8,  1845, 
and  being  commissioned  May  13  following. 

It  was  during  the  fourth  session  of  the  fourth 
legislative  assembly  that  preliminary  steps 
were  taken,  which  resulted  in  the  formation  of 
a  State  government.  The  first  Tuesday  in 
April,  1846,  was  the  day  fixed  upon  for  the 
people  to  vote  for  or  against  the  proposition. 
When  taken  it  resulted  in  a  large  majority 
voting  in  favor  of  the  measure.  An  act  was 
passed  providing  for  taking  the  census  of  the 
territory,  and  for  the  ipportionment  by  the 
governor  of  delegates  to  form  a  State  constitu- 
tion, based  upon  the  new  enumeration.  Tiie 
delegates  were  to  be  elected  on  the  first  Mon- 
day in  September,  and  the  colivention  was  to 
assemble  on  the  first  Monday  in  October,  1846. 
The  constitution  when  formed  was  to  be  sub- 
mitted to  the  vote  of  the  people  for  adoption  or 
rejection,  as,  at  the  close  of  the  session,  the 
the  terms  of  members  of  the  council  who  had 
been  elected  for  four  years,  and  of  the  house, 
w  ho  had  been  elected  for  two  years,  all  ended. 
Tiie  legislature  re-organized  the  election  dis- 
tricts, and  conferred  on  thegovernor  the  power 
and  duly  of  making  an  apportionment,  based  on 
the  census  to  be  taken,  for  the  next  Legislative 
Assembly,  when,  on   the  .3d  of  February,  is^o, 

both  houses  adjourned  sine  die.  The  census 
taken  in  the  following  June  showed  a  popula- 
tion for  the  territory  of  155,217.  Delegates 
having  been  elected  to  form  a  constitution  for 
the  proposed  new  State,  met  at  Madison  on  the 
5th  day  of  October.  After  completing  their 
labors,  they  adjourned.  This  event  took  place 
on  the  16th  of  December,  1846.  The  constitu- 
tion   thus  formed  was   submitted    to  a    popular 


vote  on  the  first  Tuesday  of  April,  1847,  and 
rejected.  A  special  session  of  the  legislature, 
to  take  action  concerning  the  admission  of  Wis- 
consin into  the  Union  began  Oct.  18,  1847,  and 
a  law  was  passed  for  the  holding  of  another 
convention  to  frame  a  constitution.  Delegates 
to  the  new  convention  were  elected  on  the  last 
.Monday  of  November,  and  that  body  met  at 
Madison  the  15th  of  December,  1847.  A  census 
of  the  territory  was  taken  this  year,  which 
showed  a  population  of  210, .546.  The  result  of 
the  labors  of  the  second  constitutional  conven- 
tion was  the  formation  of  a  constitution, 
which,  being  submitted  to  the  people  on  the 
second  Monday  of  March,  1848,  was  duly  ratified. 
On  the  29th  of  May,  1848,  by  act  of  Congress, 
Wisconsin  became  a  State. 

It  may  be  here  premised  that  the  western 
boundai-y  of  the  new  State  left  out  a  full  oi- 
ganized  county,  with  a  sheriff,  clerk  of  court, 
judge  of  probaie,  and  justices  of  the  peace.  A 
bill  had  been  introduced  ai,  a  previous  session 
in  Congress, by  Morgan  L.  ]\Iartin,the  delegate 
from  Wisconsin,  to  organize  a  territorial  govern- 
ment for  Minnesota,  including  the  district  left 
out  on  the  admission  of  Wisconsin;  but  which 
failed  to  become  a  law.  The  citizens  of  what 
is  now  Minnesota  were  very  anxious  to  obtain  a 
territorial  government,  and  two  public  meetings 
were  held — one  at  St.  Paul,  and  the  other  at 
Stillwater — advising  John  Catlin,  who  was 
secretary  of  Wisconsin,  to  issue  a  proclamation 
as  the  acting  governor,  for  the  election  of  a 
delegate  to  represent  what  was  left  of  the 
territory  of  Wisconsin.  Mr.  Catlin  repairol  to 
Stillwater  and  issued  a  proclamation  accordingly. 
H.  H.  Sibley  was  elected;  nearly  400  votes  hav- 
ing been  polled  at  the  election.  Sibley  was 
admitted  to  his  seat  on  the  floor  of  Congress  by 
a  vote  of  two  to  one.  His  admission  facilitated 
and  hastened  the  jiassage  of  a  l)ill  for  the  or- 
ganization of  a  territorial  government  for  Min- 
nesota. 


42 


HISTORY  OP  WISCONSIN. 


CHAPTER     III. 


WISCONSIN  AS  A  STATE. 


The  State  of  Wisconsin  is  bounded  on  the 
north  by  Minnesota  and  Mi(;higan;  on  the  east 
by  the  State  last  mentioned;  on  the  south,  by 
Illinois,  Iowa  and  Minnesota;  and  on  the  west, 
by  the  two  last  named  States.  Its  boundaries, 
as  more  particularly  described,  are  as  follows: 
Beginning  at  its  northeast  corner  of  the  State 
of  Illinois,  that  is  to  say,  at  a  point  in  the  center 
of  Lake  Michigan,  where  the  line  of  forty-two 
degrees  and  thirty  minutes  of  north  latitude, 
crosses  the  same;  thence  running  with  the  boun- 
dary line  of  the  State  of  Michigan,  through  Lake 
Michigan  [andj  Green  bay  to  the  mouth  of  the 
Menomonee  river;  thence  up  the  channel  of  the 
said  river  to  the  Brule  river;  thence  up  said 
last  mentioned  river  to  Lake  Brule;  thence  along 
the  southern  shore  of  Lake  Brule,  in  a  direct 
line  to  the  center  of  the  channel  between  Mid- 
dle and  South  islands,  in  the  Lake  of  the  Desert; 
thence  in  a  direct  line  to  the  head  waters  of  the 
Montreal  river,  as  marked  upon  the  survey  made 
by  Captain  Cram;  thence  down  the  main  chan- 
nel of  the  Montreal  river  to  the  middle  of  Lake 
Superior;  thence  through  the  center  of  Lake 
Superior  to  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Louis  river; 
thence  up  the  main  channel  of  said  river  to  the 
first  rapids  in  the  same,  above  the  Indian  vil- 
lage, according  to  Nicollett's  map,  thence  due 
south  to  the  main  branch  of  the  River  St.  Croix; 
thence  down  the  main  channel  of  said  river  to 
the  Mississippi;  thence  down  the  center  of  tin- 
main  channel  of  that  river  to  the  northwest 
corner  of  the  State  of  Illinois;  thence  due  east 
with  the  northern  boundary  of  the  State  of 
Illinois  to  the  place  of  beginning.  The  gen- 
eral   shape     of     Wisconsin     is     that    of     an 


irregular  pentagon.  Its  land  area  is  53,- 
924  square  miles;  and,  in  respect  to  size,  it 
ranks  with  the  other  States  as  the  15th.  It  is 
known  as  one  of  the  North  Central  States,  east 
of  the  Mississippi.  It  extends  from  9  degrees 
50  minutes  to  15  degrees  50  minutes  west  longi- 
tude from  Washington  city,  and  from  42  de- 
grees 80  minutes  to  about  47  degrees  80  minutes 
north  latitude.  It  has  Lake  Michigan  on  the 
east.  Green  bay,  Menomonee  and  Brule  rivers. 
Lake  Vieux  Desert,  the  Montreal  river.  Lake 
Superior  and  the  St.  Louis  river;  on  the  north- 
east and  north;  and,  on  the  west,  the  St.  Croix 
and  the  Mississippi  rivers*  The  average  length 
of  the  State  is  about  260  miles;  its  average 
breadth  215  miles.  The  surface  features  of 
Wisconsin  present  a  configuration  between  the 
mountainous,  on  the  one  hand,  and  a  monoto- 
nous level,  on  the  other.  The  State  occupies  a 
swell  of  land  lying  between  three  notable  de- 
pressions: Lake  Michigan,  on  the  east;  Lake 
Superior,  on  the  north;  and  the  valley  of  the 
Mississippi,  on  the  west.  From  these  depress- 
ions the  surface  slopes  upward  to  the  summit 
altitudes.  Scattered  over  the  State  are  promi- 
nent hills,  but  no  mountains.  Some  of  these 
hills  swell  upward  into  rounded  domes,  some 
ascend  precipitously  into  castellated  towers;  and 
some  reach  prominence  without  regard  to  beauty 

'  '*The  boundary  of  Wisconsin  is  commonly  (riven  as  Lalie 
Superior  and  the  State  of  Micliigan  on  the  north,  and  Michi- 
igan  and  Lalte  Michigan  on  the  east,  and  sometimes,  also, 
the  Mississippi  river  is  given  as  a  part  of  the  western  boun- 
dary. These  boundaries  are  not  the  true  ones.  The  Stnte  of 
Wisconsin  extends  to  the  center  of  Lakes  Michigan  and  Su- 
perior, and  to  the  cenierof  the  main  channel  of  theMis-sis- 
sippi  river.  As  the  States  of  Wisconsin  and  Michigan  meet 
in  the  center  of  Lake  Michigan,  it  is  not  Lake  Michigan  that 
bounds  Wisconsin  on  the  east.  buttheState  of  Michigan,  and 
so  on.  The  correct  boundary  of  Wisconsin  in  general  ti'rms. 
is  as  follows:  Wisconsin  is  bounded  north  by  Minnesota  and 
Michigan,  east  by  Michigan,  south  by  Illinois,  and  west  by 
Iowa  and  Minnesota."— 4.  O.  Wright. 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


43 


or  form  or  convenience  of  description.  The 
highest  peak,  in  the  southwestern  part  of  the 
State,  is  tlie  West  Blue  Mound,  1,151  feet  above 
Lake  Michigan;  in  the  eastern  part,  Lapham's 
Peak,  824  feet;  in  the  central  part,  Rib  Hill, 
1 ,263  feet;  while  the  crest  of  the  Penokee  Range, 
in  the  northern  part,  rises  upward  of  1,000  feet. 
The  drainage  systems  correspond,  in  general,  to 
the  topographical  features  before  described. 
The  face  of  the  State  is  the  growth  of  geologic 
ages  furrowed  by  the  teardrops  of  the  skies. 

The  constitution  of  Wisconsin  provided  for 
the  election  of  a  governor,  lieutenant  governor, 
secretary  of  State,  treasurer  and  attorney  gen- 
eral, as  the  officers  of  State.  The  first  State 
election  was  held  May  8,  1848,  when,  not  only 
State  officers  were  chosen,  but  members  of  the 
Legislature  and  members  of  Congress.  The  fol- 
lowing are  the  names  of  the  governors  elected 
and  the  terms  they  have  served,  since  Wisconsin 
became  a  State:  Nelson  Dewey,  June  7,  1848 
to  Jan.  5,  1852;  Leonard  J.  Farwell,  Jan.  5, 
1852,  to  Jan.  5,  1854;  William  A.  Barstow,  Jan. 
2,  1854,  to  March  21,  1856;  Arthur  McArtliur,  f 
March  21,  to  March  25,  1850;  Coles  Bashfoid, 
March  25,  1856,  to  Jan.  4,  1858;  Alexander  W. 
Randall,  Jan.  4,  1858,  to  Jan.  6,  1862;  Louis  P. 
Harvey,  Jan.  0,  1862,  to  April  19,  1862;  Edward 
Solomon,  t  April  19,  1862,  to  Jan.  4,  1804; 
James  T.  Lewis,  Jan.  4,  1864,  to  Jan.  1,  1866; 
Lucius  Farchild,  Jan.  1,  1866,  to  Jan.  1,  1872: 
C.  C.  Washburn,  Jan.  I,  1872,  to  Jan.  5,  1874; 
William  R.  Taylor,  Jan.  5, 1874,  to  Jan.  -i,  1876; 
Harrison  Ludington,  Jan.  3,  1876,  to  Jan.  7,  1878; 
William  E.  Smith,  Jan.  7,  1878  to  Jan.  2.  1882, 
Jeremiah  M.  Rusk,  Jan.  2,  1882,  and  still  in 
office. 

The  gubernatorial  vote  of  Wisconsin  since  its 
admission  into  the  Union  was  as  follows: 

1848. 

Dewey,  democrat 19,  .'538 

Tweedy,   whig 14, 449 


1849. 

Dewey,  democrat 16,649 

Collins,  whig 11,317 


Dewey's  majority 5, 832 

1851. 

Fiuwell,  whig 22,319 

Upham,  democrat 21,  812 


Faiwell's  majority. 


507 


1853. 


Barstow,  democrat 30,405 

Holton,  republican 21, 886 

Baird,  whig 3,334 


Biirstow's  plurality 8,519 

1855. 

Barstow,  democrat 36,  355 

Baehford,  republicau 36,198 


Barstow's  majority. 


»1,57 


1857. 

Rtindall,  republican 44,693 

Cross,  democrat 44,239 


Randall's  majrrity. 


454 


1859. 


Randall ,  republican  59,  99U 

Ilobart,  democrat 52,  539 


Randall's  majority 7.460 

1861. 

Harvey,  republican 53,777 

Ferguson,  democrat 45, 456 


Harvey's  majority 8,321 

I  1863. 

Lewis,  republican 72,717 

Palmer,  democrat 49, 053 


Lewis'  majority 23,  664 

1865. 

Fail  child,  republican 58, 332 

Hobart,  democrat 48,330 


Dewey's  majority. 
fEx-Offldo. 


Fairchild's  majority 10.  002 

1867. 

Fairchi.d,  republican 73,637 

Tallmadge,  democrat 68,878 


5,089  Fairchild's  majorily 4,764 

•rhis  certltleate  was  set  aside  by  the  supreme  court. 


44 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


1869. 

Fail-child,    republic«n 69.502 

RobinsoB,  democrat 61,339 

Fairchilds' majorily 8,263 

1871. 

VVa3hl)Uiii,    republican     78,301 

Doolitlle,  democrat  68,910 

Washburn's  majoi it}' 9,391 

1873. 

Taylor,  democrat 81,  599 

Washburn,  republiciin  66,224 

Tajlor's  raajoiity   15,375 

1875. 

Ludington,  republican 85,1.55 

Tajlor,  democrat 84,814 

Ludington's  majority 841 

1877. 

Smith,  republican 78,759 

Mallory,  dcmocral 70.486 

Allis,  gree;iback 26,216 

Smith's  majority 8,273 

1879. 

Smitb,  republicaa 100.  535 

.Jenkins,  democrat 75,080 

May,  greenback 12,090 

Smith's  majorily  over  both 12.509 

1881. 

Husk,   republican 81 ,  754 

Fratt,  democrat 69,  797 

Kanouse.  proliibition 13,  225 

Allis,  greenback 7.  002 

Rusk's  plurality 11,  957 

The  following  are  the  name.s  of  the  lieuten- 
ant governors  atid  their  terms  of  service,  since 
Wisconsin  became  a  State;  John  E.  Holmes, 
June  7,  1848,  to  Jan.  7,  1850;  Samuel  W.  Beall, 
Jan.  7,  1850,  to  Jan.  5,  1852;  Timothy  Burns, 
Jan.  5,  1852,  to  Jan.  2,  1854;  James  T.  Lewis, 
Jan.  2,  1854,  to  Jan.  7,  1856;  Arthur  McAvthur, 
Jan.  7, 1856,  to  Jan.  4, 1858;  E.  D.  Campbell,  Jan. 
4,  1858.  to  Jan.  2,  1860;  Butler  G.  Noble,  Jan. 
2,)  1860  to  Jan.  6,  186-2;  Edward  Solomon,  Jan. 
6,  1862,  to  April  19,  1862;  Gerry  W.  Hazolton, 
(ex-officio),  Sept.  10,  1862,    to  Sept.   26,    186'j; 


Wyraan  Spooner,  Jan.  14,  1863,  to  Jan.  3,  1870; 
Thaddeus  C.  Pound,  Jan.  3,  1870,  to  Jan.  1, 
1872;  Milton  H.  Pettit,  Jan.  1,  1872,  to  March 
23,  1873:  Charles  D.  Parker,  Jan.  5,  1874,  to 
Jan.  7,  1878;  James  M.  Bingham,  Jan.  7,  1878, 
to  Jan.  2,  1882;  Samuel  S.  Fifieid,  Jan.  2,  1882, 
and  still  in  office. 

The  following  are  the  persons  that  have  been 
elected  secretaiies  of  State,  with  their  terms  of 
office,  since  the  State  was  admitted  into  the 
Union: 

Thomas  McHugh,  June  7, 1848,  to  Jan.  7, 1850; 
William  A.  Barstow,  Jan.  7,  1850,  to  Jan.  5, 
1852;  CD.  Robinson,  Jan.  5,  1852,  to  Jan.  2, 
1854;  Alexander  T.  Gray,  Jan.  2,  1854,  to  Jan. 
7,  1856;  David  W.  Jones,  Jan.  7,  1856,  to  Jan. 

2,  1860;  Louis  P.  Harvey,  Jan.   2,  1860,  to  Jan. 

6,  1862;  James  T.  Lewis,  Jan.  G,   1862,  to  Jan. 

4,  1864;  Lucius  Fairchild,  Jan.   4,  1864,  to  Jan. 

1,  1866;  Thomas  S.  Allen,  Jan.  1,  18')6,  to  Jan. 

3,  1870;  Llywelyn  Bree.se,   Jan.  3,  1870,  to  Jan. 

5,  1874;  Peter  Doyle,  Jan.   5,  1874,  to   January 

7,  1878;  Ham  B.  Warner,  Jan.  7,  1878,  to  Jan. 

2,  1882;  Ernest  G.  Timme,  Jan.  2,  1882  and 
still  in  office. 

The  treasurers,  with  their  terms  of  office, 
have  been  as  follows: 

Jairus  C.  Fairchild,  June  7,  1848,  to  Jan.  5, 
1852;  Edward  H.  Janssen,  Jan.  5,  1852,  to  Jan. 
7,  1856;  Charles  Kuehn,  Jan.  7,  1850,  to  Jan  4. 
1858;  Samuel  D.  Hastings,  Jan.  4,  1858,  to  Jan. 
1,  l866;WilliamE.  Smith,  Jan.  1,  1866, to  Jan.  3, 
1870;  Henry  Baetz,  Jan.  3,  1870  to  Jan.  5,  1874; 
Ferdinand  Kuehn,  Jan.  5,  1874,  to  Jan.  7,  1878; 
Richard  Gucnther,  Jan.  7,  1878,  to  Jan.  2,  lss2; 
Edward  C.  McFetridge,  Jan.  -2,  1882  and  still  in 
office. 

Attorneys-General,  with  their  terms  of  office, 
have  been  elected  as  follows: 

James  S.  Brown,  June  7,1848,  to  Jan.  7,  1850; 
S.  Park  Coon,  Jan.  7,  1850,  to  Jan.  5,  1852;  Ex- 
perience Estabrook,  Jan.  5,  1852,  to  Jan.  2,  ]S54; 
George  B.  Smith,  Jan.  2,  1854,  to  Jan.  7,  1S56; 
William  R.  Smith,  Jan.  7,  1856,  to  Jan.  4,  1858; 
Gabriel    Bouck,   Jan.  4,   1858  to  Jan.  2,    1860; 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


45 


James  H.  Howe,  Jan.  2,  1860,  to  Oct.  7,  1862; 
Winfield  Smith,  Oct.  7,  1862,  to  Jan.  1,  1866; 
Charles  R.  Gill,  Jan.  2,  1866  to  Jan.  3,  1870; 
Stephen  S.  Barlow,  Jan.  3,  1870,  to  Jan.  5,  1874; 
A.  Scott  S'oan.  Jan.  5,  1874,  to  Jan.  7,  1878;' 
Alexander  Wilson,  Jan.  7,  1878,  to  Jan.  •',  1882; 
Leander  F.  Frisby,  Jan.  2,  18o2,  and  still  in 
office. 

The  constitution  divided  the  State  into  nine- 
teen senatorial  and  sixty-six  assembly  districts. 
In  each  of  these  districts,  on  the  8.th  of  May, 
1848,  one  member  was  elected. 

The  first  Legislature  of  the  State  began  its 
session  at  Madison,  the  capital,  where  all  subse- 
quent ones  have  convened.  The  commencement 
and  ending  of  each  session,  with  the  names  of 
the  speakers,  were  as  follows. 

Ninean  E.  Whiteside,  June  5,  1848,  to  Aug- 
ust 21. 

Harrison  C.  Hobart,  Jan.  10,  1849,  to  April  2. 
Moses  .M.  Strong,  Jan.  9,  1850,  to  February  1 1 . 
Frederick  W.  Horn,  Jan.  8,  1851,  to  March  17 
James  M.  Shafer,  Jan.    14,  1852,  to  April  10. 
Henrv  L.  Palmer,  Jan.  12,  1853,  to  April  4. 
Henry  L.  Palmer,  June  6,  1853,  to  July  13. 
Frederick  W.  Horn,  Jan.  1 1,  1854,  to  April  3. 
Charles  C.  Sholes,  Jan.  10,   1855,  to  April  2. 
William  Hull,  Jan.  9,  18.56,  to  March  31. 
William  Hull,  Sept.  3,  1856,  to  October  14. 
Wyman  Spooner,  Jan.  14,  1857,  to  March  9. 
Frederick  S.  Lovell,  Jan.  13,  1858,  to  May  17. 
William  P.  Lyon,  Jan.  12,  1859,  to  March  21. 
William  P.  Lyon,  Jan.  11,  1860,  to  April  2. 
Amasa  Cobb,  Jan.  9,  1861,  to  April  17. 
Amasa  Cobb,  May  15,  1861,  to  May  27. 
James  W.  IJeardsley,  Jan.  8,  1862,  to  April  7. 
JamesW.  Beardsley,  June  3,  1862,  to  June  17. 
James  W.  Beardsley,  Sept.  10,  1862,  to  Sept. 
26. 

J.  Allen  Barker,  Jan.   14,  1863,  to  April  2. 
William  W.  Field,  Jan.   13,  1864,  to  April  4. 
William  W.  Field,  Jan.  11,  1865,  to  April   10. 
Henrv  I).  Barron,  Jan.  10,  18C6,  to  April    12. 
Angus  Cameron,  Jan.  9,  1867,  to  April  1 1. 


Ale.xander    M.    Thomson,    Jan.    8,     1868    to 
March  6. 

Alexander    M.    Thomson,  Jan.    13,    1869,    to 
March  11. 

James  M.  Bingham,  Jan.  12,  1870,  to  March 


William  E.  Smith,  Jan.  II,  1871,  to  March  25. 
Daniel  Hall,  Jan.  10,  1872,  to  March  26. 
Ilf-nry  D.  Barron,  Jan.  8,  1873,  to  March  20. 
(iabe  Bouck,  Jan.  14,  1874,  to  March  12. 
Frederick  W.  Horn,  Jan.  13,  1875,  to  March  6. 
Samuel  S.  Fifield,  Jan.  12,  1876,  to  March  14. 
.John  B.  Cassoday,  Jan.  10,  1877,  to  March  8. 

Augustus  R.  Barrows,  Jan.  9,  1878,  to  March 
21. 

Augustus  R.  ]5arrows,  June  4,  1878,  to  June  7. 

David  M.  Kelley,  Jan.  8,  1879,  to  March  6. 

Alexander  A.  Arnold,  Jan.  14,  1880,  to 
March  17. 

Ira  D.  Bradford,  Jan.  12,  1881,  to  April  4. 

Franklin  L.  Gilson,  Jan.  11,  1882,  to  March  31. 

Earl  P.  Finch,  Jan.  10,  1883,  to  April  4. 

The  constitutiiMi  divided  the  State  int)  two 
congressional  districts,  in  each  of  which  one 
member  of  CoTigress  was  elected  May  8,  1848. 
The  first  district  embraced  the  counties  of  Mil- 
waukee, Waukesha,  Jefferson,  Racine,  Walworth, 
Rock  and  Green;  the  second  district  was  com 
posed  of  the  counties  of  Washington,  Sheboy- 
gan, Manitowoc,  <^'aliimet.  Brown,  Winnebago, 
Fond  du  Lac,  Marquette,  Sauk,  Portage,  Colum- 
bia, Dodge,  Dane,  Iowa,  Lafayette,  (^rant, 
Richland,  Crawford,  Chijipewa,  St  Croix  and 
La  Pointe — the  counties  of  Richland,  Cliii)pfwa 
and  La  Pointe  being  unorganized.  (It  may 
here  be  stated  that  the  first  Legislature  ch.iiigeii 
the  apportionment,  making  three  distiicts; 
other  apportionments  have  been  made  at  each 
decade,  so  that  there  are  now  nine  congress- 
ional districts.)  The  first  members  were  elected 
to  the  XXXth  Congress,  which  expired  March  4. 
1849.  The  members  elected  from  Wisconsin  to 
that  and  subsequent  Congresses  are: 


46 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


XXXth  Congress,  1847-9. 
First  District  —William  Pitt  Lyude.  * 
Second  District. — Mason  C.  Darling.  * 

XXXIst  Congress,  1849—51. 
First  District. — Charles  Durkee. 
Second  District.— Orsamiis  Cole. 
Third  District. — James  Duane  Doty. 

XXXIId  Congress,  1851-53. 
First  District. — Charles  Durkee. 
Second  District. — Ben.  C  Eastman. 
Third  District.— John  B.  Macy. 

XXXIIId  Congress,  1  853-55. 
First  District  — D.iuiel  Wells,  Jr. 
Second  District  — Ben  C.  Eastman. 
Third  District— John  B.  Macy. 

XXXIVth  Congress,  185.5-57. 
First  District. — Daniel  Wells,  Jr. 
Second  Dis'rict. — C.  C.  Washburn. 
Third  District. — Charles  Billinghurst. 

XXXV th    Congress,  1857-59. 
Firsi  District— John  P.  Potter. 
Second  District. — C.  C.  Washburn. 
Third  District. — Charles  BilliDghurat. 

XXXVIth  Congress,  1859-61. 
First  District.— John  F.  Potter. 
Second  District. — 0.  C.  Washburn. 
Third  District. — Charles  H.  Lvrrabee. 

XXXVIIth    Congress,  1861-63. 
First  Dislrict.—JohnF.  Potter. 
Second   District. — Luther  Hanchett,    f  Waller   Mc- 

Indoe. 
Thitd  District. — A.  Scott  Sloan. 

XXXVIIIth  Congress,  1863-65. 
First  District. — James  S.  Brown. 
Second  District. —Ithamar  C.  Sloan. 
Third  District. — .\niasaCobb. 
Fourth  District— Charles  A.  Eldredge. 
Fifth  DIsliict.— Ezra  Wheeler. 
Si-xlli  District.— Walter  D.  Mclndoe, 

XXXIXth  Congress,  1865-67. 
P'irst  District. — Halbert  E.  Paine. 
Second  District. — IthamarC.  Sloan. 
Third  District  — Amasa  Cobb. 
Fourth  District. — Charles  A.  Eldredge. 
Fifth  District. — Philefus  Sawyer. 
Sixth  District. — Walter  D.  Mclndoe. 

*  Took  their  seats  June  5  and  9,  1848. 

+  Died  Nov.  34,  IS&J;    Mcludoe  elected  to  All  tbe  vaoauoy, 
Deo.  30.  1863 


XLth  Congress,  1867-69. 
First  District— Halbert  E.  Paine. 
Second  District. — Benjamin  F.  Hopkins. 
Third  District. — Amasa  Cobb. 
.    Fourth  District — Charles  A.  Eldredge. 
Fifth  District. — Philelus  Sawyer. 
Sixth  District. — Cadwallader  C.  Washburn. 

XLIst  Congress,  1 869-7 1 . 
First  District. — Halbert  E.  Paine. 
Second  District. — Benjamin  P.  Hopkins.  X 

David  At  wood. 
Third  District. — Amasa  Cobb. 
Fourth  District. — Charles  A.  Eldredge. 
Fifth  District. — Phietus  Sawyer. 
Sixth  District  — Cadwallader  C.  Washburn. 

XLIId  Congress,  1871-73. 
First  District. — Alexander  Mitchell. 
Second  District. — Gerry  W.  Hazeltoti. 
Third  District. — J.  Allen  Barber. 
Fourth  District. — Charles  A.  Eldredge. 
Fifth  District. — Philetus  Sawyer. 
Sixth  District. — Jeremiah  M.  Rusk. 

XLIIId  Congress,  1873-75. 
First  District. — Charles  6  Williams. 
Second  District. — Gerry  W.  Hazelton. 
Third  District. — J.  Allen  Barber. 
Fourth  District  — Alexander  Mitchell. 
Fifth  District.— Charles  A.  Eldredge. 
Sixth  District. — Philetus  Sawyer 
Seventh  District. — Jeremiah  M.  Rusk. 
Eighth  District.— Alexander  S.  McDill. 

XLIVth  Congress,  1875-77. 
First  District.— Charles  G.  Williams. 
Second  District. — Lucien  B.  Caswell. 
Tliird  District.— Henry  S.  Magoon. 
Fourth  District.- William  Pitt  Lynde. 
Fifth  District.- Samuel  D.  Burchard. 
Si.Mh  District. — Alanson  M.  Kimball. 
Seventh  District. — Jeremiah  M.  Rusk. 
Eighth  District.— George  W.  Cate. 

XLVth  Congress,  1877-79. 

First  District.— Charles  G.  Williams. 

Second  District. — Lucien  B.  Caswell. 

Thi'd  District. — GeorgeC.  Hazelton. 

Fourth  District. — William  Pitt  Lynde. 

Hfth  District.— Edward  S.  Bragg. 

Sixth  District. — Gabriel  Bouck. 

Seventh  Di'itrict. — Herman  L.  Humphrey. 

Eighth  District.— Thaddeus  C.  Pound. 

%  Died  Jan.  1,1870.  and  David  Atwood elected  tofil  vacancy 
Feb.  1.5,  1870. 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


47 


XLVIth   Congress,  1879-81. 
First  District.— Charles  G    Wiliiams. 
Sei-ond  District. — Lucien  B.  Caswell. 
Third  District— George  C.  Hazelton. 
Fourth  District.— Peter  V.  Deusler. 
Fifth  District. -Edward  3.  Bragg. 
Sixth  District,— Gabriel  Bouck. 
Seventh  District.— Herman  L.  Humphrey. 
Eighth  Di-lrict  — Thaddcus  C.  Pound. 

XLVIIth  Congress,  1881-83. 
First  District.— Charles  G.  Williams. 
Second  District. — Lucien  B.  Ciiswill. 
Third  Distiict. — George  C.  Hazelton. 
Fourth  District. — Peter  V.  Deuster. 
Fifth  District.— Edwards.  Bragg. 
Sixth  District. — Richard  Guenther. 
Seventh  District. — Herman  L.  Humphrey. 
Eighth  District  — Thaddeus  C.  Pound. 

XLVIIIth  Congress,  188.3-85. 
First  District. — John  Winans. 
Second  District. — Daniel  H.  Sumner. 
Third  District. — Burr  W.  Jones. 
Fourth  District. — Peter  V.  Deuster. 
Fifth  District. — Joseph  Rankin. 
SLxth  District  —Richard  Guenther, 
Seventh  District. — Gilbert  M.  Woodward. 
Eighth  District.— William  T  Price. 
Ninth  District. — Isaac  Stephenson. 

The  lirst  Legislature  in  joint  convention, 
on  ttie  7tli  of  June  1848,  canvassed,  in  accord- 
ance with  tlie  constitution,  the  votes  given  on 
the  8th  of  May,  for  the  State  officers,  and  the 
two  representatives  in  Congress.  On  the  same 
daj  the  Slate  officers  were  sworn  into  office. 
The  next  day  Gov.  Dewey  delivere<1  his 
first  message  to  the  Legislature.  The  first  im- 
portant business  of  the  first  State  Legislature 
was  the  election  of  two  United  States  senators; 
Henry  Dodge  and  Isaac  P.  Walker,  botli 
democrats,  were  elected.  The  latter  drew  the 
sliortterin;  so  that  his  office  expired  on  the  4tli 
day  of  Marc)),  1849,  at  the  end  of  the  thirtecntli 
Congress;  as  Dodge  drew  tlie  long  term,  his 
office  expired  on  the  4th  day  of  March,  1851, 
at  the  end  of  thirty-first  Congress.  Botli  were 
elected,  June  8,  1848.  Their  successors,  with 
the  date  of  tlieir  elections,  were  as  follows: 
Isaac  P.  Walker,  Jan.  17,  1849;  Henry  Dodge, 
Jan.  20,  1851  ;  Charles   Durkee,  Feb.    1,    1855; 


James  R.  Doolittle,  Jan.  23,  1857;  Timothy  O. 
Howe,  Jan.  23,  1861;  James  R.  Doolittle,  Jan. 
22,  1863;  Timothy  O.  Howe,  Jan.  24,  1867; 
Matthew  H.  Carpenter,  Jan.  26,  1869  ;  Timothy 
O.  Howe,  Jan.  21,  1873;  Angus  Cameron,  Feb. 
3,  1875  ;  Matthew  II.  Carpenter,  Jan.  22,  1879; 
Philetus  Sawyer,  Jan.  26,  1881  ;  Angus  Cam- 
eron, March  10,  1881. 

The  constitution  vested  the  judicial  power  of 
the  State  in  a  supreme  court,  circuit  court, 
courts  of  probate,  and  justices  of  the  peace, 
giving  the  Legislature  power  to  vest  such  juris- 
diction as  should  be  deemed  necessary  in  mu- 
nicipal courts.  Judges  were  not  to  be  elected 
at  any  State  or  county  election,  nor  within 
thirty  days  before  or  after  one.  The  State  was 
divided  into  five  judicial  circuits,  Edward  V. 
VVhiton  being  chosen  judge  at  the  election  on 
the  first  Monday  in  August,  1848,  of  the  first 
circuit,  composed  of  the  counties  of  Racine, 
Walworth,  Rock  and  Green  as  then  constituted; 
Levi  Hubbell,  of  the  second,  composed  of 
Milwaukee,  Waukesha,  Jefferson  and  Dane; 
Charles  II.  Larrabee,  of  the  third,  composed  of 
Washington,  Dodge,  Columbia,  Marquette, 
Sauk  and  Portage,  as  then  formed;  Alexander 
W.  Stow,  of  the  fourth,  composed  of  Brown, 
Manitowoc,  Sheboygan,  Fond  du  Lac,  Winne- 
l):igo  and  Calumet;  and  Mortimer  M.  Jackson, 
of  the  fifth,  composed  of  the  counties  of  Iowa, 
I^aFayette,  Grant,  Crawford  and  St  Croix,  as 
ll  en  organized  ;  the  county  of  Richland  being 
attached  to  Iowa  county  ;  the  county  of 
Chippewa  to  the  county  of  Crawford  ;  and 
the  county  of  LaPointe  to  tlie  county  of 
St.  Croix,  for  judicial  ))ur])os;es.  In  1850,  a  sixth 
circuit  was  formed.  IJy  an  act,  which  took  ef- 
fect in  18.54,  a  seventh  circuit  was  formed.  On 
the  1st  dsy  of  January,  I85.=>,  an  eighth  and 
ninth  circuit  was  formed.  In  the  same  year 
was  also  formed  a  tenth  circuit.  An  eleventh 
circuit  was  formed  in  1864.  By  an  act  which 
took  effect  the  1st  day  of  January,  1871,  the 
twelfth  circuit  was  formed.  In  1876  a  thir- 
teenth circuit  was   "constituted    and    re-organ 


48 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


ized."  At  the  present  time  John  M.  Went- 
worih  is  judge  of  the  first  circuit,  «hich  is  com- 
posed of  the  counties  of  Walworth,  Kacine,  and 
Kenosha;  Cliarles  A.  Hamilton  of  the  second, 
which  includes  Milwaukee  county;  David  J. 
Pulling  of  the  third,  composed  of  Calumet, 
Green  Lake  and  Winnebago;  Norman  S.  Gil- 
son  of  the  fourth,  composed  of  Sheboygan, Mani- 
towoc, Kewaunee  and  Fond  du  Lac;  (George 
Cleraentson  of  the  fifth,  composed  of  Grant, 
Iowa,  La  Fayette,  Hichland  and  Crawford; 
Alfred  VV.  Newman  of  the  sixth,  composed  of 
Clark,  Jackson,  La  Crosse,  Monroe,  Trem- 
pealeau and  Vernon;  Charles  M.  Webb  of  the 
seventh,  composed  of  Portage,  Marathon,  Wau- 
paca, Wood,  Waushara,  Lincoln,  Price,  and  Tay- 
lor; Egbert  B.  Buiidy  of  the  eighth,  composed 
of  Huffalo,  Dunn,  Eau  Claire,  Pepin,  Pierce,  and 
St.  Croix;  Alva  Stewart  of  the  ninth,  composed 
of  Adams,  Columbia,  Dane,  Juneau,  Sauk, 
M  rquette;  George  H.  My  res,  of  the  tenth, 
composed  of  Florence,  Langlade,  Outagamie,  and 
Shawano;  Solon  C.  Clough  of  the  eleventh, 
composed  of  Ashland,  Barron,  Bayfield,  Burnett, 
Chippewa,  Douglas,  Polk,  and  Washburn;  John 
K.  iJennettof  the  twelfth,  composed  of  Rock, 
Green,  and  Jefferson;  A.  Scott  Sloan, ot  thethir- 
teenth,  composed  of  Dodge,  Ozaukee,  Washing- 
ton, and  Waukesha;  Samuel  D.  Hastings  of  the 
fourteenth,  composed  of  Brown,  Door,  Mainette 
and  Oconto. 

The  first  Legislature  provided  for  the  re-elec- 
tion of  juilges  of  the  circuit  courts  on  the  first 
Monday  of  August,  1848.  By  the  same  act  it 
was  provided  that  the  first  term  of  the  supreme 
court  siiould  be  held  in  Madison,  on  the  sec- 
ond Monday  of  January,  1849,  and  thereafter 
at  the  same  place  and  on  the  same  day, 
yearly  ;  afterward  changed  so  as  to  hold 
a  January  and  June  term  in  each  year. 
Under  the  constitution,  the  circuit  judges 
were  also  judges  of  the  supreme  court.  One 
of  their  own  number  under  an  act  of  June  29, 
1S4S,  was  to  be,  by  themselves,  elected  chief 
justice.     Under  this  arrangement,  the  following 


were  the  justices  of  the  supreme  court,   at   the 
times  indicated:     Alex.  W.  Stow,  C.  J.,  fourth, 
district,  Aug.  28,  1848,  to  Jan.  1,  1851;  Edward 
V.  Whiton,  A.  J.,  first  circuit,  Aug.    28,    1848, 
to      June      1,     1853;      Levi     Hubbell,     A.   J., 
elected    chief    justice,    June   18,    1851,  second 
circuit,  Aug.  28,  1848,  to  June  1,  1853;  Charles 
H.  Larrabee,  A.  J.,  third  circuit,  Aug.  28,  1848, 
to  June  1,  1853;  Mortimer  M.    Jackson,    A.    J., 
fifth  circuit,  Aug.  28,    1848,   to   June    1,    1853; 
Timothy  O.  Howe,  A.   J.,   fourth    circuit,   Jan. 
1,  1851,  to  June  1,  1853;  Wiram   Knowlton,    A. 
J., sixth  circuit,   organized  by  the  Legislature  in 
1850,  Aug.  6,  1850,to  June  1,  1853.   In  1853,  the 
supreme    court  was  separately    organized,    the 
chief  justice  and  associate  justices   being   voted 
for  as  such.    The  following   persons  have   con- 
stituted that  court  during  tbe    terms  indicated, 
since   its    separate   organization:     Edward    V. 
Whiton,   C.  J.,  June  1,  1853,  to  April  12,  1859; 
Luther  S.  Dixon,  C.  J.,  April   20,  1859,  to   June 
17  1874;  Edward  G.  Ryan,  C.  J.,  June  17,  1874, 
to  Oct.  19,  1880;  Orsamus  Cole,  C.  J.,  Nov.  11, 
1880,  (in  oflice);  Samuel  Crawford,  A.  J.,    June 
1,  1853,  to  June  19,  1855  ;  Abraham  D.    Smith. 
A.  J.,  June  1,  1853,  to  June  21,  1859;   Orsamus 
Cole,  A.  J.,  June    19,1855,    to  Nov.    11,    1880; 
Byron  Paine,  A.  J.,  June  21,  1859,  to  Nov.    15, 
1864;  Jason  Downer,  A.  J.,   Nov.    15,     1864,    to 
Sept.  11,   1867;    Byron  Paine,     A.  J.,  Sept.  11. 
1867,  to  Jan.  13,  1871;  William  P.  Lyon,  A.   J., 
Jan.  20,  1870,  (in  oflice);  David    Taylor,    A.  J., 
April  18,  1878,  (in  office);  Harlow  S.   Orton,   A. 
J.,  April  18,  1878,    (in  office);    John   B.    Casso- 
day,  A.  J.,  Nov.  11, 1880,  (in  oflice). 

The  act  of  Congress  entitled  "An  act  to  eiia 
ble  the  people  of  Wisconsin  territory  to  form  a 
constitution  and  State  government,  and  for  the 
admission  of  such  State  into  the  Union,"  ap- 
proved Aug. 6,  1846,  provided  for  one  I  nited 
States  judicial  district  to  be  called  the  district 
of  Wisconsin.  It  was  also  provided  that  a  dis- 
trict court  should  be  held  therein  by  one  judge 
who  should  reside  in  the  district  and  be  called 
a  district  judge.     The   court    was  to  hold  two 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


49 


terms  a  year  in  the  capital,  Madison.  This  was 
afterward  changed  so  that  one  term  only  was 
lield  at  the  seat  of  the  State  government,  wliile 
the  other  was  to  be  held  at  Milwaukee.  Special 
terras  could  be  held  at  either  of  these  places. 
»  On  the  12th  day  of  June,  1848,  Andrew  G. 
Miller  was  appointed  by  the  President  district 
judge.  By  the  act  of  Congress  of  July  15,  1862, 
a  circuit  court  of  the  United  States  was  created 
to  be  held  in  Wisconsin.  The  district  judge 
was  given  power  to  hold  the  circuit  court  in 
Wisconsin  in  company  with  the  circuit  judge 
and  circuit  justice,  or  either  of  them,  or  alone 
in  their  absence.  Wisconsin  now  com])08es  a 
portion  of  the  seventh  judicial  circuit  of  the 
United  States,  Thomas  Drummond  being  cir- 
cuit judge.  He  resides  at  Chicago.  The  cir- 
cuit justice  is  one  of  judges  of  the  United  States 
supreme  court.  Two  terms  of  the  circuit  court 
are  held  each  year  at  Milwaukee  and  one  term 
in   Madison. 

In  1870  tlic  State  was  divided  into  two  dis- 
tricts, the  eastern  and  western.  In  the  westerii 
district,  one  term  of  the  United  States  district 
court  each  year  was  to  be  held  at  Madison  and 
one  at  La  Crosse;  in  the  eastern  district,  two 
terms  were  to  be  held  at  Milwaukee  and  one  at 
Oshkosh.  On  the  Otli  day  of  July,  1870,  James 
C.  Hopkins  was  appointed  judge  of  the  western 
district,  Andrew  G.  Miller  i-emaining  judge  of 
the  eastern  district.  The  latter  resigned  to 
take  effect  Jan.  1,  1874,  and  James  H.  Howe 
was  ajipointed  to  Kll  the  vacancy;  but  Judge 
Howe  soon  resigned,  and  ('liarles  E.  Dyer,  on 
the  10th  of  February,  187-5,  appointed  in  his 
place.  He  is  still  in  office.  Judge  Hopkins,  of 
the  western  district,  died  .Sept.  4,  1877;  when, 
on  the  1.3ih  of  October  following,  Romanzo 
Bunn  was  appointed  his  successor,  and  now  fills 
that  office. 

An  act  was  passed  by  the  first  Legislature  pro- 
viding  for  the  election  and  defining  t!ie  duties 
of  a  State  superintendent  of  public  instruction. 
The  persons  holding  that  office,  with  the  terra 
of   each,   are    as    follows:     Eleazer  Root,  from 


Jan.  1,  1849,  to  Jan.  5,  1852;  Azel  P.  Ladd, 
from  Jan.  5,  1852,  to  Jan.  2,  1854;  Hiram  A. 
Wright,  from  Jan.  5,  1854,  to  May  29,  1855; 
A.  Constantine  Barry,  from  June  26,  1855,  to 
Jan.  4,  1858;  Lyman  C.  Draper,  from  Jan.  4, 
1858,  to  Jan.  2,  1860;  Jpsiah  L.  Pickard,  from 
Jan.  2,  1860,  to  Sept.  30,  1864;  John  G.  Mc- 
Mynn,  from  Oct.  1,  1864,  to  Jan.  6,  1868;  Alex- 
ander J.  Craig,  from  Jan.  6,  1868,  to  Jan.  3, 
1870;  Samuel  Fallows,  from  Jan.  6,  1870,  to 
Jan.  4,  1874;  Edward  Searing,  from  Jan.  4, 
1874,  to  Jan  7,  1878;  William  C.  Whitford, 
from  Jan.  7,  1878,  to  Jan.  2,  1882;  Robert  Gra- 
ham, from  Jan.  2,  1882,  (now  in  office.)  By  the 
same  Legislature,  a  State  University  was  estab- 
lished. The  school  system  of  Wisconsin  em- 
braces graded  schools,  to  be  found  in  all  the 
cities  and  larger  villages,  the  district  schools, 
organized  in  the  smaller  villages  and  in  the 
country  generally,  besides  the  University  of 
Wisconsin,  (located  at  Madison,  the  capital  of 
the  State).  The  university  has  three  depart- 
ments: the  college  of  letters,  the  college  of  arts, 
and  the  college  of  law.  It  was  founded  upon  a 
grant  of  seventy-two  sections  of  land  made  by 
Congress  to  the  territory  of  Wisconsin.  That 
act  required  the  secretary  of  the  treasury  to  set 
apart  and  reserve  from  sale,  out  of  any  public 
lands  within  the  territory  of  Wisconsin,  "a 
quantity  of  land,  not  exceeding  two  entire  towi:- 
ships,  for  the  support  of  a  university  within  the 
said  territory  and  for  no  other  use  or  purpose 
whati^oever;  to  be  located  in  tracts  of  land  not 
less  tlian  an  entire  section  corresponding  witli 
any  of  the  legal  divisions  into  which  the  public 
lands  are  authorized  to  be  surveyed."  The 
territorial  Legislature,  at  its  session  in  1838, 
passed  a  law  incorporating  the  "University  of 
the  Territory  of  Wisconsin,"  locating  the  same 
at  or  near  Madison.  In  1841  a  commissioner 
was  appointed  to  select  the  lands  donated  to 
the  State  for  the  maintenance!  of  the  university, 
who  ppr'ormi'd  the  dutv  assigned  to  him  in  a 
most  acceptable  ni;imii'r.  Section  a  of  article 
X  of  tlu'  State  i-onstilutioii   prii\idi's   thai  "pro- 


3 


50 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


vision  shall  be  made  by  law  for  the  establish- 
ment of  a  State  University  at  or  near  the  seat  of 
government.  The  proceeds  of  all  lands  that 
have  been  or  may  hereafter  be  granted  by  the 
United  States  to  the  State,  for  the  support  of  a 
University  shall  be  and  remain  a  perpetual  fund, 
to  be  called  the  'University  fund,'  the  interest 
of  which  shall  be  appropriated  to  the  support 
of  the  State  University."  Immediately  upon 
the  organization  of  the  State  government  an 
act  was  passed  incorporating  the  State  Univer- 
sity, and  a  board  of  regents  appointed,  who  at 
once  organized  the  institution. 

The  Uniyfersity  was  formally  opened  by  the 
public  inauguration  of  a  chancellor,  Jan.  16, 
1 850.  The  preparatory  department  of  the  Uni- 
versity was  opened  Feb.  5,  1849,  with  twenty 
pupils.  In  1849  the  regents  purchased  nearly 
200  acres  of  land,  comprising  what  is  known  as 
ihe  "University  Addition  to  the  City  of  Madi- 
son," and  the  old  "University  Grounds."  In 
1851  the  north  dormitory  was  completed,  and 
the  first  college  classes  formed.  In  1854  the 
south  dormitory  was  erected.  Owing  to  the 
fact  that  the  lands  comprising  the  original  grant 
had  produced  a  fund  wholly  inadequate  to  the 
support  of  the  university,  in  1S54  a  further 
grant  of  seventy-two  sections  of  land  was  made 
by  Congress  to  the  State  for  that  purpose.  In 
1866  the  University  was  completely  re-organized, 
so  as  to  meet  the  requirements  of  a  law  of  Con- 
gress passed  in  1862,  providing  for  the  endow- 
ment of  agricultural  colleges.  That  act  granted 
to  the  several  States  a  quantity  of  land  equal  to 
30,000  acres  for  each  senator  and  representa- 
tive in  Congress,  by  the  apportionment  under 
the  census  of  1860.  The  objects  of  that  grant 
are  fully  set  forth  in  sections  four  and  five  of 
said  act.  The  lands  received  by  Wisconsin 
under  said  act  of  Congress,  and  conferred  upon 
the  State  University  for  the  support  of  an  agri- 
cultural college,  amounted  to  240,000  acres, 
making  a  total  of  322,160  acres  of  land  donated 
to  this  State  by  the  general  government  for  the 
endowment  and  support  of  this  institution.   Up 


to  the  time  of  its  re-organization,  the  University 
had  not  received  one  dollar  from  the  State  or 
from  any  municipal  corporation.  In  pursuance 
of  a  law  passed  in  1866,  Dane  county  issued 
bonds  to  the  amount  of  $40,000  for  the  pur- 
chase of  about  200  acres  of  land  contiguous  to 
the  University  grounds  for  an  experimental 
farm,  and  for  the  erection  of  suitable  buildings 
thereon.  The  next  winter  the  Legislature  passed 
a  law  which  appropriated  annually  for  ten  years 
to  the  income  of  the  University  Fund,  $7,308.76, 
that  being  the  interest  upon  the  sum  illegally 
taken  from  the  fund  by  the  law  of  1862  to  pay 
for  the  erection  of  buildings. 

In  1870  the  Legislature  appropriated  $50,000 
for  the  erection  of  a  female  college,  which  is 
the  first  contribution  nyade  outright  to  the  up- 
building of  any  institution  of  learning  in  this 
State.  In  order  to  comply  with  the  law  grant- 
ing lands  for  the  support  of  agricultural  colleges, 
the  University  was  compelled  to  make  large 
outhiys  in  tilting  up  laboratories  and  purchas- 
ing the  apparatus  necessary  for  instruction  and 
practical  advancement  in  the  arts  immediately 
connected  with  the  industrial  interests  of  the 
State,  a  burden  which  the  Legislature  very  gen- 
erously shared  by  making  a  further  annual  ap- 
propriation in  1872  of  $10,000  to  the  income  of 
the  University  Fund.  The  increased  facilities 
offered  by  improvements  in  the  old  and  by  the 
erection  of  a  new  college  building  proved 
wholly  inadequate  to  meet  the  growing  wants 
of  the  institution.  In  its  report  for  1874,  the 
board  of  visitors  said:  "A  hall  of  natural  sci- 
ences is  just  now  the  one  desideratum  of  the  Uni- 
versity. It  can  never  do  the  work  it  ought  to  do, 
the  work  the  State  expects  it  to  do,  without 
some  speedily  increased  facilities."  'J  he  Leg- 
islature promptly  responded  to  this  demand, 
and  at  its  next  session  appropriated  $80,000  for 
the  erection  of  a  building  for  scientific  pur- 
poses. In  order  to  permanently  provide  for  de- 
ficiencies in  the  University  Fund  income,  and  to 
establish  the  institution  upon  a  firm  and  endur- 
ing foundation,  the  Legislature  of  1876  enacted 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


61 


"That  there  shall  be  levied  and  collected  for 
the  year  1876  and  annually  thereafter,  a  State 
tax  of  one-tenth  of  one  mill  for  each  dollar  of 
the  assessed  valuation  of  the  taxable  property  of 
this  State,  and  the  amount  so  levied  and  col- 
lected is  hereby  appropriated  to  the  University 
Fund  income,  to  be  used  as  a  part  thereof." 
This  is  in  lieu  of  all  other  appropriations  for 
the  benefit  of  this  fund,  and  all  tuition  fees  for 
students  in  the  regular  classes  are  abolished  by 
this  act. 

'I'he  fourth  section  of  the  act  of  187(5,  to  per- 
manently provide  for  deficiencies  in  the  Uni- 
versity Fund  income,  is  as  follows:  "From  and 
out  of  the  receipts  of  said  tax,  the  sum  of$!3,000 
annually  shall  be  set  apart  for  astronomical 
work  and  for  instruction  in  astronomy,  to  be 
expended  under  the  direction  of  the  regents  of 
the  University  of  Wisconsin,  as  soon  as  a  com- 
plete and  well  equipped  observatory  shall  be 
given  the  University,  on  its  own  grounds  with- 
out cost  to  the  State:  Provided,  that  such  ob- 
servatory shall  be  completed  within  three  years 
from  the  passage  of  this  act."  The  astronomi- 
cal observatory  whose  construction  was  provided 
for  by  tliis  act,  was  erected  by  the  wise  liber- 
ality of  ex-Gov.  Washburn.  It  is  a  beautiful 
stone  building,  finely  situated  and  well  fitted 
for  its  work.  Its  length  is  eighty  feet,  its 
breadth  forty-two  feet,  and  its  height  forty- 
eight  feet.  Over  the  door  to  the  rotunda  is  a 
marble  tablet  bearing  this  inscription:  "Erected 
and  furnished,  A.  D.  1878,  by  the  munificence 
of  Cadwalladcr  C.  Washburn,  and  by  him  pre- 
sented to  the  University  of  Wisconsin;  a  tribute 
to  general  science.  In  recognition  of  this  gift, 
this  tablet  is  inserted  by  the  regents  of  the 
University."  The  telescope  has  a  sixteen  inch 
object-glass.  The  size  is  a  most  desirable  one 
for  the  great  mass  of  astronomical  work.  In 
1881  a  students' observatory  was  erected  and  a 
wing  was  added  to  the  east  side  of  the  Wash- 
burn observatory. 

In  the  fall  of  1848  there  was  a  Presidential 
election.     There    were    then    three    organized 


jjolitical  parties  in  the  State — whig,  democrat 
and  free-soil,  each  having  a  ticket  in  the  field  ; 
but  the  democrats  were  in  the  majority.  The 
successful  electors  for  that  year  and  for  each 
four  years  since  that  date,  were  as  follows  : 

184S.     Elected  November  7. 

Al  Large — Fiancis  Huebschmann. 

Wm.  Dunwiddie. 
First  District— David  P.  Maples 
Second  District — Samutl  F.  Nichlos. 

1852.     Elected  November  a. 

At  Large — Montgomery  M.   Cothren. 

Satierlee  Clark. 
First  District— Phllo  White. 
Second  District — Beriah  Brown. 
Third  District — Charles  Billinghurst. 

1856.     Elected  November  4. 

At  Large— Edward  D.  Holton. 

James  H.  Knowlton. 
First  District— Gregor  Mencel. 
Second  District— Waller  D.  Mclndoe. 
Third  District— Bille  Williams. 


I860.     Elected  November  6. 

At  Large— Walter  D.  Mclndoe. 

Bradford  Rixford. 
Kirst  District — William  W,  Vaughan. 
Second  District — J.  Allen  Barber. 
Third  District — Herman  Lindeman. 


1864.     Elected  November  8. 

.\tLarge— William  W.  Field 

Henry  L.  Blood. 
First  District — George  C.  Northrop. 
Second  District — Jonathan  Bowman. 
Tliird  District — Allen  Warden. 
Fourth  District — Henry  J.  Turner. 
Fifth  Di.stricl— Henry  F.  Belitz. 
Sixth  District — Alexander  S.  McDill. 


1868.     Elected  November  3. 

At  Largi— Stephen  S.  Ilailow. 
Henry  D.  Barron. 


52 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


First  District— Elihu  Enos. 
Second  District— Charles  Q.  Williams. 
Third  District — AUeu  Warden. 
Fourth  District — Leander  F.  Frisby. 
Fifth  District— Williiira  G.  Ritch. 
Sixth  District— William  T.  Price. 


18'72.     Elected  November  5. 

At  Large — William  E.  Ci'amer. 
Frederick  Fleischer. 
First  District — Jerome  S.  Nickles. 
Second  District — George  G.  Swain. 
Third  District — Ormsby  B.  Thomas. 
Fourth  District — Frederick  Hilgen. 
Fifth  District— Edward  C.  McFetridge. 
Sixth  District — George  E.  Hoskinson. 
Seventh  District — RomanzoBunn. 
Eighth  District — Henry  D.  Barron. 


1876.     Elected  November  7. 

At  Large — William  H.  Hiner. 
Francis  Campbell. 
First  District— T  D.  Weeks. 
Second  District — T.  D.Lang. 
Tbird  District — Daniel  L.  Downs. 
Fourth  District — Casper  M.  Sanger. 
Fifth  District — Charles  Luling. 
Sixth  District — J.ames  H.  Foster. 
Seventh  District— Charles  B.  Solberg. 
Eighth  District — John  H.  Knapp . 


1880.     Elected  November  2. 

At  Large — George  End. 

Knud  Langland. 
First  District — Lucius  S.  Blake. 
Second  District — John  Kellogg. 
Third  District— George  E.  Weatherby. 
Fourth  District — William  P.  McLaren. 
Fifth  District— C.  T.  Lovell. 
Sixth  District — E.  L   Browne. 
Seventh  District— F.  H.  Kribbs. 
Eighth  District — JohnT.  Kingston. 

The    popular  vote  cast  for  President  at   each 
of  the  Presidential  elections  in  Wisconsin,  and 


the   electoral   vote  cast  for  each  successful  can- 
didate, were  as  follows  : 


Kl 


1848 
1852 
1856 
1860 

1864 
1868 
1872 

1876 
1880 


CANDIDATES. 


Zachary  Taylor 

Lewis  Cass 

Martin  Van  Buren. . . . 
Franklin  Pierce  

Winfield   Scott 

John  P.  Hale. .    

James  Buchanan 

John  C.    Fremont. . .  . 

Milhiril  Fillmore 

Abraham  Lincoln 

John  C.  Breckinridge. 

John  Bell 

8.  A.  Douglas 

Abraham  Lincoln 

Geo  B,  McClellan 

Ulyspcs  S.  Grant 

Horatio  Sey.nour 

Ulysses  S,  Grant 

Horace  Greeley  

Charles  O'Connor.  . . . 
Rutherford  B.  Hayes... 

Samuel  J   Tilden 

Peter  Cooper 

G    C.  Smith 

James  A   Garfield   .  .    .  . 

Winfield  S.   Hancock. 

J.  B.    Weaver 

Neal  Dow 

J   B.  Phelps 


o 


o 


86, 


65, 

83, 
65, 

108, 
84, 

104, 


130, 
123, 

1, 

144, 

114, 
7, 


747 
001 
418 
658 
240 
814 
843 
090 
579 
118 
888 
161 
021 
458 
884 
857 
707 
997 
477 
834 
668 
927 
509 
27 
398 
644 
986 
68 
91 


H 


10 


10 


10 


The  act  of  the  first  Legislature  of  the  State, 
exempting  a  homestead  from  forced  sale  on 
any  debt  or  liability  contracted  after  Jan.  1, 
18+9,  and  another  act  exempting  certain  per- 
sonal property,  were  laws  the  most  liberal  in 
their  nature  passed  by  any  State  in  the  Union 
previous  to  that  time.  Other  acts  were  passed 
— such  as  were  deemed  necessary  to  put  the 
machinery  of  the  State  government  in  all  its 
branches,  in  fair  running  order.  And,  by  the 
second  Legislature  (1849)  were  enacted  a  num- 
ber of  laws  of  public  utility.  Tlie  statutes  were 
revised,  making  a  volume  of  over  900  pages. 
The  year  1848  was  one  of  general  prosperity  to 
the  rapidly  increasing  population  of  the  State  ; 
and  that  of  1849  developed  in  an  increased 
ratio  its  productive  capacity  in  every  depart- 
ment of  labor.     The  agriculturist,  tlie  arti.san, 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


53 


tlie  miner,  reaped  the  well-earned  reward  of 
his  honest,  labor.  The  commercial  and  manu- 
facturing interests  were  extended  in  a  manner 
highly  creditable  to  the  enterprise  of  the  people. 
The  educational  interests  of  the  Stale  began  to 
assume  a  more  systematic  organization.  Tlie 
tide  of  immigration  suffered  no  decrease  during 
the  year.  Within  the  limits  of  Wiscon- 
sin, the  oppr.ssed  of  other  climes  continued  to 
find  welcome  and  happy  homes.  There  were 
many  attractions  for  emigrants  from  the  Old 
World,  especially  from  northern  Europe — from 
Germany,  Norway,  Sweden  and  Denmark ; 
also  from  Ireland  and  England. 

Till'  third  Legislature  changed  the  January 
term  of  the  supreme  court  to  December  and  or- 
ganized a  sixth  judicial  circuit.  The  first 
charitable  institution  in  Wisconsin,  incorporated 
by  the  State,  was  the  "Wisconsin  Institute  lor 
the  Education  of  the  Blind."  A  school  for 
that  unfortunate  class  had  been  opened  in  Janes- 
ville,  in  the  latter  part  of  1S49,  receiving  ils 
support  from  the  citizens  of  that  place  and 
vicinity.  By  an  act  of  the  Legislature,  approved 
Feb.  9,  1850,  this  school  was  taken  under  the 
care  of  the  Institute,  to  continue  and  maintain 
it,  at  .lanesville,  and  to  qualify,  as  far  as  might 
be,  the  blind  of  the  State  for  the  enjoyment  of 
the  blessings  of  a  free  government;  for  obtain- 
ing the  means  of  subsistence;  and  for  the  <lis- 
cliarge  of  those  duties,  social  and  political, 
devolving  upon  American  citizens.  It  has  since 
been  supported  from  the  treasury  of  the  State. 
On  the  7th  of  October,  1850,  it  was  opened  for 
the  reception  of  pupils,  under  the  direction  of  a 
board  of  trustees  appointed  by  the  governor. 
The  other  charitable  institutions  of  the  State 
are  the  State  Hospital  for  the  Insane,  located 
near  Madison,  and  opened  for  patients  in  July, 
1800;  Northern  Hospital  for  the  Insane,  located 
near  Oshkosh,  to  which  patients  were  first  ad- 
mitted in  April,  1873,  and  the  Institution  for 
the  Deaf  and  Dumb,  located  at  Delavan,  in 
Walworth  county. 


The  entire  length  of  the  building  of  the  Wis- 
consin State  Hospital  for  the  Insane,  situated 
on  the  north  shore  of  Lake  Mendota,  in  Dane 
county,  is  569  feet,  the  center  building  being 
65x120  feet.  The  first  longitudinal  wing  on 
each  side  of  the  center  is  132  feet,  and  the  la.st 
on  each  extremity  i»  119  feet.  The  transverse 
wings  are  eighty-seven  feel  long.  This  com- 
modious building  is  surrounded  by  ornamental 
grounds,  woods  and  farming  lands,  to  the  extent 
of  393  acres,  and  is  well  adapted  for  the  care 
of  the  unfortunate  needing  its  protection.  In 
1879,  additional  room  for  180  patients  was 
added,  by  converting  the  old  chapel  into  wards, 
and  by  the  addition  of  cross  wings  in  front  of 
the  old  building.  The  hospital  will  now  accom- 
modate comfortably  550  patients.  In  1870  a  law 
was  passed  authorizing  the  erection  of  the  build- 
ing for  the  Northern  Hospital,  on  a  tract,  con- 
sisting of  337  acres  of  land,  about  four  miles 
north  of  the  city  of  Oshkosh  on  the  west  shore 
of  Lake  Winnebago.  The  necessary  appropri- 
ations were  made, and  the  north  wing  and  central 
building  were  completed.  Further  appro)  ri- 
ations  were  made  from  time  to  time  for  addi- 
tional wings,  and  in  1875  the  hospital  was  coih- 
pleled  according  to  the  original  design,  at  a 
total  cost  to  the  State  of  $625,250.  The  build- 
ing has  been  constructed  on  the  most  approved 
])lan,  and  is  suited  to  accomodate  CUO  patients. 

The  land  first  occupied  by  the  V\  isconsin 
Institution  for  the  Deaf  and  Dumb,  comprising 
11  46-100  acres,  was  donated  by  Hon.  F.  K. 
Phoenix,  one  of  the  first  trustees,  but  the 
original  boundaries  have  since  been  enlarged 
by  the  purchase  of  twenty-two  acres.  The  main 
building  was  burned  to  the  ground  on  the  16th 
of  September,  ls79;  but  during  the  year  I88(i 
four  new  buildings  were  erected,  and  with  the 
increased  facilities  provided,  250  children  may 
be  well  cared  for.  The  new  buildings  are  a 
school  house,  boys'  dormitory,  dining-room  ami 
chapel,  with  a  main  or  administration  building. 
These  buildings  are  plain,  neat,  substantial 
structures,  and  well  fitted  for  the  uses  intended. 


54 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


The  Institution  was  originally  a  private  school 
for  the  deaf,  but  was  incorporated  by  act  of  the 
Legislature,  April  19,  1S52.  It  designs  to  educate 
that  portion  of  the  children  and  youth  of  the 
State,  who,  on  account  of  deafness,  cannot  be 
educated  in  the  public  schools.  Instruction  is 
given  by  signs,  by  written  language,  and  by 
articulation.  In  the  primary  department  few 
books  are  used,  slates,  pencils,  crayons,  pictures, 
blocks  and  other  illustrative  apparatus  being  the 
means  employed.  In  the  intermediate  depart- 
ment the  books  used  are  prepared  especially  for 
the  deaf  and  dumb;  more  advanced  pupils  study 
text-books  used  in  our  common  schools.  The 
shoe  shop  commenced  business  in  186'Z;the  print- 
ing office  in  1878,  and  the  bakery  in  1881.  The 
law  provides  that  all  deaf  and  dumb  residents 
of  the  State  of  the  age  of  ten  years  and  under 
twenty-live,  of  suitable  age  and  capacity  to 
receive  instruction,  shall  be  received  and  taught 
free  of  charge  for  board  and  tuition,  but 
parents  and  guardians  are  expected  to  furnish 
clothing  and  pay  traveling  expenses. 

The  taking  of  the  census  by  the  United 
State,  this  year,  1850,  showed  a  population  for 
Wisconsin  of  305,391 — the  astonishing  increase 
in  two  years  of  nearly  95,000.  Many,  as  already 
stated,  were  German,  Scandinavian  and  Irish; 
but  the  larger  proportion  were,of  course, from  the 
Eastern  and  Middle  States  of  the  Union.  The 
principal  attractions  of  Wisconsin  were  the 
excellency  and  cheapness  of  its  lands,  its  valu- 
able mines  of  lead,  it«  extensive  forests  of  pine, 
and  the  unlimited  water-power  of  its  numerous 
streams.  In  1860  the  population  had  increased 
to  775,881;  in  1870  to  1,054,670,  and  in  1880  to 
1,315,480.  By  an  act  of  the  fourth  Legislature 
of  the  State,  approved  March  14,  1851,  the  loca- 
tion and  erection  of  a  State  prison  for  Wiscon- 
sin was  provided  for,  Waupim,  Dodge  county, 
being  afterwards  the  point  selected  for  it.  The 
office  of  State  prison  commissioner  was  created 
in  1853,  but  was  abolished  in  1874.  During 
that  time  the  following  persons  held  the  office: 
John  Taylor,  from  March   28,  1853  to  April  2, 


1853;  Henry  Brown,  from  April  2,  1853  to  Jan. 
2,  1854;  Argalus  W.  Starks,  from  Jan.  2,  1854 
to  Jan.  7,  1856;  Edward  McGarry,  from  Jan  7, 
1856  to  Jan  4,  1858;  Edward  M.  MacGraw,  from 
Jan.  4,  1858  to  Jan.  2,  1860;  Hans  C.  Heg,  from 
Jan.  2,  I860  to  Jan.  6,  1862;  Alexander  P.  Hod- 
ges, from  Jan  6,  1862  to  Jan.  4,  1864;  Henry 
Cordier,  from  Jan  4,  1864  to  Jan.  3,  1870; 
George  F.  Wheeler,  from  Jan.  3,  1870  to  Jan. 
4,  1874.  The  State  (Law)  Library  had  its 
origin  in  the  generous  appropriation  of  $5, 000  out 
ot  tlie  general  treasury,  by  Congress,  contained 
in  the  seventeenth  section  of  the  organic  act 
creating  the  territory  of  Wisconsin.  At  the 
first  session  of  the  territorial  Legislature,  held 
at  Belmont  in  1836,  a  joint  resolution  was 
adopted  appointing  a  committee  to  select  and 
purchase  a  library  for  the  use  of  the  territory. 
The  iirst  appropriation  by  the  State,  to  replenish 
the  library,  was  made  in  1851.  Since  that  time, 
several  appropriations  have  been  made.  The 
number  of  volumes  in  the  library  at  the  begin- 
ning of  1883  was  16,285. 

The  fifth  Legislature  —  the  Assembly,  wiiig, 
the  Senate,  democratic — passed  an  act  authoriz- 
ing banking.  This  was  approved  by  the  gover- 
nor, L.  J.  Farwell,  April  19,  1S52.  The  ques- 
tion of  "bank  or  no  bank"  having  been  sub- 
mitted to  the  people  in  November  previous,  and 
decided  in  favor  of  banks;  the  power  was  thereby 
given  to  the  Legislature  of  1852  to  grant  bank 
charters  or  to  pass  a  general  banking  law.  By 
the  act  just  mentioned,  the  office  of  bank  comp- 
troller was  created,  but  was  abolished  by  an 
act  of  Jan.  3,  187(i.  During  the  continumce  of 
the  law,  the  following  persons  filled  the  office, 
at  the  time  given;  James  S.  Baker,  from  Nov. 
20,  1852  to  Jan.  2,  1854;  William  M.  Dennis, 
from  Jan.  2,  1854  to  Jan.  4,  1858;  Joel  C. 
Squires,  from  Jan.  4,  1858  to  Jan  2,  1860;  Gys- 
bert  Van  Steenwyk,  from  Jan  2,  1860  to  Jan.  6, 
1862;  William  H.  Ramsey,  from  Jan  6,  I.s62  to 
Jan.  1,  186C;  Jeremiah  M.  Rusk,  from  Jan .  1, 
1866  to  Jan.  3,  1870.  The  sixth  Wisconsin 
Legislature  commenced  its  session,  as  we  have 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


55 


seen,  Jan.  13,  1853.  On  the  26th  of  that  month 
charges  were  preferred  in  the  Assembly  against 
Levi  Hubbelljjudge  of  the  second  circuit  court, for 
divers  acts  of  corruption  and  malfeasance  in 
office.  A  resolution  directed  a  committee  to  go 
to  the  Senate  and  impeach  Hubbell.  On  tlie 
trial  he  was  acquitted.  By  an  act  of  tlie  same 
Legislature,  the  State  Agricultural  Society  was 
incorporated.  Since  its  organization  the  society 
has  printed  a  number  of  volumes  of  transactions, 
and  has  held,  except  during  the  civil  war, 
annual  fairs.  Its  aid  to  the  agricultural  interests 
of  the  State  are  clearly  manifest.  Farming,  in 
Wisconsin,  is  confined  at  the  present  time  to 
the  south  half  of  the  Slate,  the  northern  half 
being  still  largely  covered  by  forests.  The 
surface  of  the  agricultural  portion  is,  for  the 
most  part,  gently  undulating,  consisting  largely 
of  prairies  alternating  with  "oak  openings." 
The  Slate  is  essentially  a  grain-growing  one, 
though  stock-raising  and  dairy  farming  are 
rajiidly  gaining  in  importance.  Wheat,  the 
staple  product  of  Wisconsin,  is  gradually  losing 
its  prestige  as  the  farmer's  sole  dependence, 
and  mixed  farming  is  coming  to  the  front. 
About  twenty  bushels  of  wheat  are  raised 
annually  to  each  inhabitant  of  the  State.  Mucli 
more  attention  is  now  paid  to  fertilizers  than 
formerly,  clover  and  |)laster  being  looked  upon 
with  constantly  increasing  favor.  While  within 
the  last  ten  years  stock-raising  has  been  a  grow- 
ing interest,  yet  it  has  not  been  a  rapid  one; 
not  so,  however,  with  dairying — no  other 
agricultural  interest  has  kept  pace  with  this. 
The  principal  markets  for  the  farm  products  of 
Wisconsin  are  Milwaukee  and  Chicago. 

By  an  act  approved  March  4,  185.3,  the  State 
Historical  Society  was  incorporated,  it  having 
been  previously  organized.  The  society  is 
under  the  fostering  care  of  the  State,  each  Leg- 
islature voting  a  respectable  sum  for  its  benefit. 
It  has  published  a  number  of  volumes  of  "Col 
lections"'  and  of  catalogues.  Its  rooms  are  in 
the  Capitol  at  Madison,  where  are  to  be  found 
its  library   of   historical  books  and   pamplilets, 


the  largest  in  the  northwest.  On  the  21st 
of  September,  1853,  Timothy  Burns,  lieu- 
tenant-governor of  the  State,  died  at  La  Crosse. 
As  a  testimonial  of  respect  for  the  deceased, 
the  several  State  departments,  in  accordance 
with  a  proclamation  of  Gov.  Farwell,  were 
closed  for  one  day,  October  3.  The  year  1850, 
to  the  agriculturalist,  was  not  one  of  much  pros- 
perity in  Wisconsin,  owing  to  the  partial 
failure  of  the  wheat  crop.  The  State  was  vis- 
ited during  the  year  by  cholera,  not,  however, 
to  a  very  alarming  extent.  In  1851  the  State 
was  prosperous.  In  1852  the  citizens  of  Wis- 
consin enjoyed  unusual  prosperity.  There  were 
abundant  harvests  and  high  markets;  an  increase 
of  money  and  a  downward  tendency  of  the  rates 
of  interest.  The  next  year  (1853)  was  also  one 
in  which  every  branch  of  industry  prospered. 
There  was  an  especial  increase  in  commerce 
and  manufactures.  And  here  it  might  be  said 
that  next  to  agriculture  the  most  important 
pursuit  in  Wisconsin  is  manufacturing;  fore- 
most in  this  interest  is  lumber,  of  whicli  the 
pineries  furnish  the  raw  material.  The  pine 
region  extends  through  the  northern  counties  of 
the  State  from  Green  Bay  to  the  St.  Croix  river. 
The  demand  for  lumber  is  constantly  increas- 
ing, while  the  facilities  for  its  manufacture  are 
continually  enlarging.  Over  one  billion  feet  of 
logs  are  cut  annually.  The  lumber  mills  have 
a  capacity  exceeding  one  and  one-half  billion 
feet.  The  products  of  these  find  their  way  to 
market,  either  by  the  Mississippi  and  its  tribu- 
taries, by  the  various  lines  of  railways,  or 
through  the  great  lakes.  The  other  leading 
articles  of  manufacture  are  flour,  agricultural 
impleiTients  and  malt  liquors. 

The  fourth  administration — William  A.  Bar- 
stow,  governor — was  signalized  by  a  fugitive 
slave  case,  which  greatly  excited  the  people  of 
Wisconsin.  Sherman  M.  Booth,  for  assisting 
in  the  rescue  of  Joshua  Glover,  a  fugitive  slave, 
was  arrested,  but  discharged  by  the  supreme 
court.  He  was  again  arrested  under  an  indict- 
ment in  the   L^nited   States  district  court,  and  a 


56 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


second  time  discharged  by  the  supreme  eourt; 
but  the  supreme  court  of  the  United  States 
reversed  the  action  of  the  State  court  in  its 
second  discharge  of  Booth,  and  he  was  re- 
arrested in  1860;  the  sentence  of  the  district 
court  was  executed  in  part  upon  him, when  he  was 
pardoned  by  tlie  President.  The  eighth  Legis- 
lature of  the  State  (Jan.  10 — April  2,  1855), 
passed  an  act  very  liberal  in  its  provisions  rela- 
tive to  the  rights  of  married  women.  On 
the  2'7th  of  June,  1855,  Hiiam  A.  Wright, 
superintendent  of  public  instruction,  died  at 
Prairie  du  Chien.  The  State  census,  taken  in 
this  year  (1855),  showed  a  population  of  552,- 
109.  In  1865,  the  number  had  increased  to 
868,325;  in  1875,  to  1,236,729.  Industrial  occu- 
pations in  Wisconsin  were  prosperous  during 
the  years  1854  and  1855.  The  fifth  administra- 
tion began  with  William  A.  Barstow  in  the 
executive  chair,  by  virtue  of  a  certificate  from 
the  board  of  canvassers,  that  he  had  been  a 
second  time  elected  governor  by  a  majority  (as 
previously  shown)  of  157.  But  this  certificate 
was  set  aside  by  the  supreme  court,  giving  the 
office  to  Coles  Bashford,  not,  however,  until 
Barstow  had  resigned,  and  Arthur  McArthur, 
acting,  by  virtue  of  his  office  of  lieutenant-gov- 
ernor, as  governor  from  March  21,  to  March  25, 
1856.  A  dry  season  during  this  year  dimin- 
ished the  wheat  crop.  The  tenth  Legislature  of 
Wisconsin— Jan.  14  to  March  9,  1857 — passed 
an  act  establishing  at  Waukesha  a  house  of 
refuge  for  juvenile  delinquents,  afterwards 
called  the  State  Reform  School;  now  known  as 
the  Wisconsin  Industrial  School  for  boys.  It 
was  opened  in  1860.  Tlie  buildings  are  located 
on  the  southern  bank  of  Fox  river,  in  view  of 
the  trains  as  they  pass  to  and  from  Milwaukee 
and  Madison,  presenting  an  attractive  front  to 
the  traveling  public,  and  furnishing  the  best 
evidence  of  the  parental  care  of  the  State 
authorities  for  the  juvenile  wards  within  its 
borders.  The  buildings  include  a  main  central 
building,  three  stories  high,  used  for  the  resi- 
dence of   the    superintendent's    family,    office 


chapel,  school  rooms,  reading  room  and  library, 
officers  kitchen,  dining  room,  and  lodging,  fur- 
nace room  and  cellar.  On  the  east  of  the  main 
central  building  are  three  family  buildings, 
three  stories  high,  each  with  dining  hall, 
play  room,  bath  room,  dressing  room,  hospi- 
tal room,  officers'  rooms,  dormitory  and  store 
room.  On  the  west  of  the  main  central 
building  are  four  family  buildings  like  those 
on  the  east  in  all  respects,  witK  the  exception 
of  the  building  at  the  west  end  of  this  line, 
which  is  a  modern  building  with  stone  base- 
ment. In  the  rear  of  this  line  of  buildings  is 
the  shop  building,  38x258  feet,  three  stories 
high,  which  embrace  boot  factory,  sock  and 
knitting  factory,  tailor  shop,  carpenter  shop, 
engine  room,  laundry  and  steam  dyeing  room, 
bath  rooms,  store,  store  rooms,  bakery  and  cel- 
lar. The  correction  house,  44x80  feet,  (intended 
for  the  most  refractory  boys)  and  will  accommo- 
date forty;  a  double  family  building  38x1 17 
feet  for  the  accommodation  of  two  families 
of  boys  of  fifty  each.  There  is  on  the  farm, 
which  consists  of.  233  acres  of  land,  a  com- 
fortable house,  a  stone  carriage  and  horse  Itarn 
two  stories  high,  Iniilt  in  the  most  substantial 
manner. 

The  constitution  of  the  State,  adopted  in  1848, 
provides,  "that  the  revenue  of  the  school  fund 
shall  be  exclusively  applied  to  the  following 
objects:  "1st.  To  the  support  and  maintenance 
of  bommon  schools  in  each  school  district,  and 
the  purchase  of  suitable  libraries  and  appurte- 
nances therefor.  "2d.  That  the  residue  of  the 
income  of  the  school  fund  shall  be  approj)riated 
to  the  support  of  academies  and  normal  schools, 
and  suitable  libraries  and  appurtenances  there 
for."  No  effort  was  made  to  take  advantage  of 
this  provision  of  the  constitution  for  the  endow- 
ment of  normal  schools  until  1857,  when  an  act 
was  passed  providing  "that  the  income  of  twen- 
ty-five per  cent,  of  the  proceeds  arising  from  the 
sale  of  swamp  and  overflowed  lands  should  be 
appropriated  to  normal  institutes  and  academies, 
under  the  supervision  and  direction  of  a  "  'board 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


57 


of  regents  of  normal  schools,' "  who  were  to 
be  appointed  in  pursuance  of  tlie  provisions  of 
tliat  act.  Under  this  law,  the  income  placed  at 
the  disposal  of  the  regents  was  distributed  for 
several  j'ears  to  such  colleges,  academies  and 
high  schools  as  maintained  a  normal  class,  and 
in  ])roportion  to  the  number  of  pupils  in  the 
class  who  passed  satisfactory  examinations,  con- 
ducted by  an  agent  of  the  board.  In  J  805,  the 
Legislature  divided  the  swamp  lands  and  swamp 
land  fuiul  into  two  equal  i)arts,  one  for  drain- 
age purposes,  the  other  to  constitute  a  noimai 
school  fund.  The  income  of  the  latter  was  to 
be  applied  to  establishing,  supporting  and  main- 
taining normal  schools,  under  the  direction  and 
management  of  the  board  of  regents  of  normal 
schools,  with  a  proviso  that  one-fourth  of  such 
income  should  be  transferred  to  the  common 
school  fund,  until  the  annua!  income  of  that 
fund  should  reach  ?i:i(K),0O0.  During  the  satne 
year,  proposals  were  invited  for  extending  aid 
in  the  establishment  of  a  normal  school,  and 
[)ropositions  were  received  from  various  places. 
In  1860,  the  board  of  regents  was  incor[)o- 
rated  by  the  Legislature.  In  February,  Platte- 
ville  was  conditionally  selected  as  the  site  of  a 
school,  and  as  it  had  become  apparent  that  a 
productive  fund  of  al>out  $600,000,  with  a  net 
income  of  over  #.'50,000,  was  already  in  hand, 
with  a  prospect  of  a  steady  increase  as  fast  as 
lands  were  sold,  the'  board,  after  a  careful  in- 
vestigation and  consideration  of  the  different 
methods,  decided  upon  the  policy  of  establish- 
ing several  schools,  and  of  locating  them  in 
different  pArts  of  the  State.  At  a  meeting  held 
on  the  2d  day  of 'May,  in  the  same  year,  the 
board  designated  Whitewater  as  the  site  of  a 
school  for  the  southeastern  section  of  the  State, 
where  a  building  was  subsequently  erected;  and 
on  the  16th  permanently  located  a  school  at 
Plalteville,  the  academy  building  having  been 
donated  for  that  purpose.  The  school  at  Plalte- 
ville was  opened  Oct.  9,  1866.  Tiie  school  at 
Whitewater  was  opened  on  the  2!st  of  April, 
1808. 


A  building  was  completed  during  the  year 
1870  for  a  third  normal  school,  at  Oshkosh,  hut 
owing  to  a  lack  of  funds,  it  v>a>  not  opened  for 
the  admission  of  pupils  during  that  year.  The 
opening  and  the  ceremony  of  dedicating  the  build- 
ing took  place  Sept.  10,  1871.  A  fourth  normal 
school  was  opened  in  September,  1875,  at  River 
FaMs,  Pierce  county.  It  is  understood  to  be  the 
policy  of  the  board  of  regents  to  establish 
eventually,  when  the  means  at  their  disposal 
shall  permit,  not  less  than  six  normal  schools, 
but  several  years  must  elapse  before  so  many 
can  go  into  operation.  The  law  under  which 
these  schools  are  organized  provides  that  "The 
exclusive  purpose  of  each  normal  school  shall 
be  the  instruction  and  training  of  persons,  both 
male  and  female,  in  the  theory  and  art  of  teach- 
ing, and  in  all  the  various  branches  that  per- 
tain to  a  good  common  school  education,  and  in 
all  subjects  needful  to  qualify  for  teaching  in 
the  public  schools;  also  to  give  instruction  in 
the  fundamental  laws  of  the  United  States  and 
of  this  State,  and  in  what  regards  the  rights  and 
duties  of  citizens." 

Subsidiary  to  the  State  normal  schools  are 
teachers'  institutes,  held  annually  in  nearly 
every  settled  county,  and  the  State  teachers' 
association,  which  has  been  organized  for  .-i 
quarter  of  a  century.  Besides  the  public  schools 
of  the  State,  there  are  a  number  of  denoniina- 
lional  and  other  colleges,  the  principal  of  which 
are  Racine  College,  Beloit  College,  Milton  Col- 
lege, Rii)on  College,  Carroll  College,  at  Wau- 
kesha; Lawrence  University,  at  Appleton;  St. 
John's  College,  at  Prairie  du  Chien;  (ialesville 
University;  Northwestern  University,  at  Water- 
town;  and  Pio  Nono  College,  at  St.  Francis 
Station,  south  of  Milwaukee.  There  is  also 
quite  a  large  number  of  incorporated  academies 
and  seminaries,  the  more  prominent  ones  being 
the  Milwaukee  Academy  and  St.  Mary's  Insti- 
tute, at  Milwaukee;  Kemper  Hall,  at  Kenosha; 
St.  Catharine's  Academy,  at  Racine;  Rochester 
Seminaiy,  Lake  (ieneva  Seminary,  Fox  Lake 
Seminary,  Albion    Academy,    Elroy   Seminary, 


58 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


Wayland  Institute,  at  Beaver  Dam,  and  Santa 
Clara  Academy,  at  Sinsinawa  Mound.  There 
are  also  about  700  private  schools  in  Wisconsin. 
The  whole  number  of  children  in  Wisconsin 
between  four  and  twenty  vears  of  age  is  483,071 ; 
the  number  of  pupils  in  attendance  in  public 
schools,  299,019.  The  aggregate  valuation  of 
school  property  in  the  State  is  ^(5,297,678.24. 

The  sixth  administration,  Alexander  W. 
Randall,  governor,  was  noted  for  its  "long  jiar- 
liament,"  the  eleventh  Legislalure  of  the  State 
having  been  in  session  125  days.  A  report  of 
commissioners  previously  a)>pointed  to  revise 
tlie  statutes,  was  acted  upon  during  tlie  session, 
the  result  being  the  publication,  in  one  volume, 
of  the  "Revised  Statutes  of  1858."  The 
twelfth  Legislature  (.Jan.  12,  to  March  21,  1859) 
was,  like  the  two  previous  Legistatures,  republi- 
can. At  the  commencement  of  the  seventh  ad- 
ministration, Randall's  second  term  as  gov- 
ernor, that  party  not  only  had  control  of  the 
tliirteenth  Legislature,  butof  all  ihe  State  offices. 
The  governor,  in  his  message  to  the  fourteenth 
Legislature,  on  the  10th  of  January,  1861,  de 
clared  that  the  right  of  a  State  to  secede  from 
the  I'^nion,  could  never  be  admitted.  "  The  gov- 
ernment must  be  sustained,  the  laws  shall  be  en- 
forcedP''  An  extra  session  of  the  Legislature 
was  convened  on  the  15th  of  May,  at  which,  no 
acts  were  passed  except  such  as  appertained  to 
the  military  exigencies  of  the  times.  Mean- 
while a  demand  made  upon  the  governor  by  the 
President,  for  troops  to  sustain  the  federal  arm, 
met  with  a  quick  response.  During  the  year, 
9,991  men,  in  ten  regiments,  for  three  years' 
service,  and  one  regiment  for  three  months 
service,  of  810  men,  were  sent  out  of  the  State. 
The  number  of  volunteers  originally  in  the  sev- 
eral military  organizations,  from  Wisconsin 
during  the  war,  were  as  follows: 

First  Infantry,  three  months 810 

First  Infantry,  three  years 945 

Second  Infantry,  three  years 1051 

Third  Infantry,  three  years 979 

Fifth  Infantry,  three  years 1058 

Sixth  Infantry,  three  years 1108 


Seventh  Infantry,  three  years 1029 

Eighth  Infantry,  three  years 973 

Ninth  Infantry,  *  three  years 870 

Ti  nth  Infnntry,   three  years 916 

Elevenili  Infanlry,  threeyears 1029 

TvvelfiU  Infantiy,  three  years 1045 

Thirteenth  Infant'y,*  three  years 970 

Fourteenth  Infantry,  three  years 970 

Fifteenth  Infiintry,  three  years 801 

Sixteentl'  Infanlry,  three  years 1066 

Seventeenth  Irfantry,  threeyears 941 

Eighteenth  Infantrj^,  three  years 962 

Nineteenth  Infantry,  threeyears 973 

Twentieth  Infantry,  three  years 990 

Twenty-first  Infantry,  thre»  years 1002 

Twenty-second  Infantry,  three  years 1009 

Twenty-third  Infantry,  three  years 994 

Twenty  fourth  Infantry,  three  years 1008 

Tweniy-fiflh  Infantry,  three  years 1018 

Twenty-sixth  Infantry,  threeyears 1002 

Twenly-seventh  Infantiy,  three  years 865 

Twenty-eighth  Infantry,  threeyears 961 

Twenty-ninth  Infantry,  three  years 961 

Thirtieth  Infantry,  three  years 906 

Thirty-first  Infantry,  three  years 878 

Thirty-second  Infantry,  threeyears 993 

Thirty-third  Infantry,  three  years 892 

Thiriyfourth  Infantry,  nine  months 961 

Thirty-fifth  Infantry,  *   threeyears 1066 

Thirty  sixth  Infantry,  threeyears 990 

Thirty-seventh  Infantry,  one,  two  and  threeyears  708 

Thirty-eighth  Infantry,  one,  two  and  three  years.  913 

Thirty-ninth  Infantry,  one  hundred  days 780 

Fortieth  Infantry,  one  hundred  days 776 

Forty  (it si  Infantry,  one  hundred  days -578 

Forty-second  Infantry,  one  year 877 

Fortj-lhird   Infantry,  one  year 867 

Forty  fourth  Infantry,  one  year 877 

Forty  fifth  Infantry,  one  year 859 

Forty-si.\ih  Infantry,  one  year 914 

Forty-S'  yenth  Infantry,  one  year 927 

Forty-eighth  Infant: y,  one  year 828 

Forty-ninth  Infantry,  one  year 986 

Fiftieth  Infantry,  one  year 942 

Fifty-first  Infantry,  one  year 841 

Fifty-second  Infantry,  one  year 486 

Fifty  third  Infantry,  one  year 380 

First  Cavalry,  threeyears 1134 

Second  Cavaliy,  three  years 1127 

Third  Cavalry,  threeyears 1186 

FourihC.ivalry,  threeyears 1047 

Milwaukee 83 

•Nov.  1,  1865. 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


59 


First  Battery  Light  Artillery t55 

Second  Battery  Light  Artillery 153 

Tliiid  Buttery  Light  Artilleiy l?" 

Fotirlli  Battery  Light  Ani.lery 151 

Fifth  Buttery  Lisiht  Artillery 155 

Sixth   Battery  Light  Artillery 157 

Seventh  Battery  Light  Artillery 158 

Eighth  Battery  Light  Artillery 161 

Ninth  Battery  Light  A  rtillery  155 

Tenth  Battery  Light  Artillery 47 

Eleventh  Battery  Light  Artillery 87 

Twelfth  Battery  Light  Artillery 99 

Thirteenth  Battery  Light  Artillery 156 

Battery  A,  Heavy  Artillery  1-9 

Battery  B,  Heavy  Artillery 149 

Battery  C,  Heavy  Artillery 146 

B:iltery  D,  Heavy  Artillery 146 

Battery  E,  Heavy  Artillery 151 

Battery  F,  Heavy  Artillery 151 

Battery  G,  Heavy  Artillery 152 

Battery  H,  Heavy  Artillery  151 

Battery  I,  Heavy  Artillery 150 

Battery  K,  Heavy  Artillery 148 

Battery  L,  Heavy  Artillery   152 

Battery  M,   Heavy  Artillery 152 

Sharpshooter" 105 

Oibbons'  Brigade  Band 13 

Oil  the  10th  of  April,  1802,  Gov.  Louis  P. 
Harvey,  the  successor  of  AlexamlerW.  Randall, 
started,  along  with  others,  from  Wisconsin  on 
a  tour  to  relieve  the  wounded  and  suffering 
soldiers  from  this  State,  at  Mound  City,  Padu- 
cah  and  i^avannah.  Having  completed  his 
mission,  he  made  preparations  to  return.  He 
went  on  board  a  boat,  the  Dunleith,  at  ihe 
landing  in  Savannah,  and  there  awaited  the  ar- 
rival of  the  Minnehaha,  which  was  to  convey  him 
and  his  party  to  Cairo,  111.  It  was  late  in  the 
evening  of  the  19th  of  April  when  the  steamer 
arrived;  and  as  she  rounded  to,  her  bow  touched 
the  Dunleith  precipitating  the  governor  into 
tbe^  river.  Every  effort  was  made  to  save  his 
life,  but  in  vain.  His  body  was  afterward  re- 
covered and  brought  home  for  interment. 

Edward  Salomon,  lieutenant-governor,  by 
virtue  of  a  provision  of  the  constitution  of  the 
Stale,  succeeded  to  the  office  of  governor,  'i'lie 
enlisting,  organization  and  mustering  into  the 
United  States  service  during  Randall's  adminis- 


tration of  thirteen  regiments  of  infantry — the 
First  to  the  Thirteenth  inclusive,  and  the  march- 
ing of  ten  of  them  out  of  the  State  before  the 
close  of  1R61,  also,  of  one  company  of  cavalry 
and  one  conijiany  of  sharpshooters  constittited 
the  effective  aid  abroad  of  Wisconsin  during 
that  year  to  suppress  the  Rebellion.  Hut  for  the 
year  1862,  this  aid,  as  to  number  of  organiza- 
tions, was  more  than  doubled.  At  the  end  of 
the  year  1863  thirty-three  regiments  left  the 
State — tlic  Thirteenth  regiment  being  the  only 
remaining  one  of  the  thirty-four  in  Wisconsin. 
The  ninth  administration,  James  T.  Lewis,  gov- 
ernor, saw  the  close  of  the  Rebellion.  On  the 
10th  of  April,  1865,  Lewis  announced  to  the 
Legislature,  then  in  session,  the  surrender  of 
Gen.  Lee  and  his  army. 

Fifty-three  regiments  during  the  war  were 
raised  in  Wisconsin,  all,  sooner  or  later,  mov- 
ing south  and  engaging  in  one  way  or  other  in 
suppressing  the  Rebellion.  Twelve  of  these 
regiments  were  assigned  to  duty  in  the  eastern 
division,  which  constituted  the  territory  on  both 
sides  of  the  Potomac  and  upon  the  seaboard 
from  Baltimore  to  Savannah.  Tiiese  twelve 
regiments  were: 

The  First  (three  months).  Second,  Third, 
Fourth,  Fifth,  Sixth,  Seventh,  Nineteenth, 
Twenty-sixth,  Thirty-si.vth,  Thirty-seventh  and 
Thirty-eighth. 

Ten  regiments  were  assigned  to  the  central 
division,  including  Kentucky,  Tennessee, 
Northern  Alabama  and  Georgia.  'I'liese  ten 
were; 

The  Tenth,  Twenty-first,  Twenty-second, 
Twenty-fourth,  Thirtieth,  Forty-third,  Forty- 
fourth,  Forty-fifth,  Forty-si.\tli  and  l<"orty- 
scventh.  Added  to  these  was  the  First  (re-or- 
ganized). 

Thirty-one    regiments   were    (nilored    to    the 

western    division,   embraci   g  the  country  west 

and  northwest  of  the   central   division.     These 

were: 

Eighth,  NintI',  Eleventh, Twelfth, Thirteenth, 

;  Fourteenth,   Fifteenth,  Sixteenth,  Seventeenth, 


60 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


Eighteenth,  Twentieth,  Twenty-third,  Twenty- 
fifth,  Twenty-seventh,  Twenty-eighth,  Twenty- 
ninth,  Thirty-first,  Thirty-second,  Thirty-third, 
Thirty-fourth,  Thirty-fiftli,  Thirty-nintii,  For- 
tieth, Forty-first,  Forty-second,  Forty-eighth, 
Forty-ninth,  Fiftieth,  Fifty -first,  Fifty-second 
and  Fifty-third. 

During  the  war  several  transfers  were  made 
from  one  district  to  another.  Tliere  were  taken 
from  the  eastern  division  the  Thiri  and  Twenty- 
sixth  and  sent  to  the  central  division;  also  the 
Fourth,  which  was  sent  to  the  department  of 
the  gulf.  The  Twelfth,  Thirteenth,  Fifteenth, 
Sixteenth,  Seventeenth,  Eighteenth,  'J"»enty- 
fifth.  Thirtieth,  Thirty-first  and  Thirty-.second 
were  transferred  from  the  western  to  the  cen- 
tral department.  The  other  niilitai'y  organiza- 
tions from  Wisconsin  had  various  assignments 
Recruiting  ceased  in  the  State  on  the  l.'ith  of 
April,  1865.  It  was  not  many  months  before 
Wisconsin's  last  soldier  was  mustered  out  of 
service.  The  State  furnished  during  the  war 
over  75,000  men,  of  which  number  nearly  1 1,000 
died  in  the  service. 

Among  all  the  noble  women  wlio  gave  them- 
selves to  the  sanitary  work  of  the  civil  war 
perhaps  few  were  more  peculiarly  fitted  for 
forming  and  carrying  out  plans  than  Mrs.  C.  A. 
P.  Jlarvey,  widow  of  the  late  lamented  Gov. 
Louis  P.  Harvey.  She  was  appointed  by  Gov. 
Salomon  one  of  the  sanitary  agents  of  the 
State.  She  soon  procured  the  establishment  of 
a  convalesent  hospital  at  Madison,  Wis.  The 
building  when  no  longer  needed  as  a  hospital, 
ISJ  IS.  Harvey  conceived  the  idea  of  having  it  con- 
verted into  a  home  for  soldiers'  orphans.  On 
Jan.  1,  1866,  the  home  was  opened  with  eighty- 
four  orphans,  Mrs.  Harvey  at  the  head.  The 
necessary  funds  had  been  raised  by  subscription; 
but  it  soon  became  a  State  institution.  The  oi- 
phans  were  not  only  maintained  but  brought  up 
to  habits  of  industry.  But  it  was  not  long  be- 
fore the  number  of  the  inmates  began  to  de- 
crease, owing  to  the  fact  that  homes  were  found 
or  many,  while  some   were    returned   to    their, 


mothers;  none  were  kept  in  the  institution  after 
they  had  reached  the  age  of  fifteen.  At  length 
when  the  number  had  diminished  to  less  than 
forty  children,  it  was  thought  best  to  close  the 
institution.  This  was  in  1875.  The  whole 
number  of  orjihans  cared  for  during  the  contin- 
uance of  the  heme  was  about  700.  The  Legisla- 
ture then  transferred  the  building  to  the  re- 
gents of  the  University  of  Wisconsin,  who  dis- 
posed of  it;  and  a  Norwegian  seminary  is  now 
established  therein. 

During  the  tenth  administration,  Lucius 
Fairchild,  governor,  the  National  Home  for 
Disabled  Volunteer  Soldiers,  the  northwest- 
ern branch  of  the  National  institution,  was  es- 
tablished in  Wisconsin,  three  miles  from  Mil- 
waukee. It  has  a  capacious  brick  building,  con- 
taining accommodations  for  1,000  inmates.  In 
addition  to  this  building  which  contains  the 
main  halls,  eating  apartment,  oftices,  dormitory 
and  engine  room,  are  shops,  granaries,  stables 
and  other  out-buildings.  The  Home  farm  con- 
tains 410  acres,  of  which  over  one-half  is  culti- 
vated The  remainder  is  a  wooded  park  tra- 
versed by  shaded  walks  and  drives,  beautifully 
undulating.  The  main  line  of  the  Chicago, 
Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Railroad  runs  through 
the  farm,  and  the  track  of  the  northern  division 
passes  beside  it.  Soldiers  who  were  disabled 
in  the  service  of  the  United  States  in  the  War 
of  the  Rebellion,  the  Mexican  War,  or  the  War 
of  1812,  and  have  been  honorably  discharged, 
are  entit  ed  to  admission  to  the  Soldiers'  Home. 

A  law  was  passed  in  1867  creating  the  oflice 
of  insurance  commissioner,  the  secretary  of 
State  being  assigned  to  its  duties.  But,  in  187S, 
it  was  made  a  distinct  office,  to  be  filled  by  the 
governor's  appointment.  It  was,  howevfr, 
made  elective  in  1881.  Philip  L.  Spooner  has 
served  since  April  1,  1878,  and  is  still  in  oflice. 
The  joint-slock  fire  insurance  companies  of  Wis- 
consin are  three  in  number,  its  mutual  compa- 
nies also  three.  There  is  but  one  life  insurance 
company  in  the  State.  A  large  number  of  fire 
and  life  insurance  companies  located  outside  of 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


61 


Wisconsin  transact  business   under  State    law 
within  its  borders. 

Hiarly  in  1870,  during  Gov.  Fairchild's 
third  term,  was  organized,  and  in  March  of 
that  year  incorporated,  the  "Wisconsin  Acad- 
emy of  Sciences,  Arts  and  Letters,"  having 
among  its  .specific  objects  researches  and  inves- 
tigations in  the  various  departments  of  the  ma- 
terial, metaphysical,  ethical,  ethnological  and 
social  sciences;  a  progressive  and  thorough 
scientific  survey  of  the  State,  with  a  view  of 
determining  its  mineral,  agricultural  and  other 
resources;  the  advancement  of  the  useful  arts, 
through  the  application  of  science  and  by  the 
encouragement  of  original  invention;  the  en- 
couragement of  the  fine  arts  by  means  of  hon- 
ors and  prizes  awarded  to  artists  for  original 
works  of  superior  merit;  the  formation  of  scien- 
tific, economical  and  art  museums;  the  encour- 
agement of  philological  and  historical  research; 
the  collection  and  preservation  of  historic  rec- 
ords and  the  formation  of  a  general  library, 
and  the  diffusion  of  knowledge  by  the  public  i- 
tion  of  original  contributions  to  science,  liter- 
ature and  the  arts.  The  academy  has  already 
published  several  volumes  of  transactions,  un- 
der authority  of  the  State.  On  the  3d  day  of 
July  of  that  year  A.  J.  Craig,  superintendent  of 
public  instruction,  died  of  consumption,  and 
on  the  13th  of  January  following  occurred  the 
<leath  of  associate  justice,  Byron  Paine,  of  the 
supreme  court.  Al  the  twenty-fourth  regular 
session  of  the  Legislature  (January  11 — March 
25,  1871,)  a  commissioner  of  emigration,  to  be 
elected  i)y  the  people,  was  provided  for.  The 
office  was  abolished  Jan.  3,  1876.  During  this 
time  but  two  persons  held  the  oflice — Ole  C. 
Johnson,  from  April  3,  1871,  to  Jan.  5,  1S74; 
Martin  J.  Argard,  from  Jan.  5,  1874,  to  Jan.  3, 
1876.  My  an  act  of  the  Legislature,  a|)])roved 
March  4,  1879,  the  board  of  immigration  of  the 
State  of  Wisconsin  was  created,  to  consist 
of  five  members,  of  which  number  two  are 
ex-officio — the  governor  and  secretary  of  State. 
The    principal   office  is  located  in  Milwaukee, 


with  a  branch  office  at  Chicago.  The  object  is 
to  encourage  imigration  from  Europe  to  Wis- 
consin. On  the  23d  of  March,  1871,  the  State 
board  of  charities  and  reforms  was  created,  to 
consist  of  five  members  to  be  appointed  by  the 
governor  of  the  State,  the  duties  of  the  mem- 
bers being  to  investigate  and  supervise  the 
whole  system  of  charitable  and  correctional  in- 
stitutions supported  by  the  State  or  receiving 
aid  from  the  State  treasury.  This  board  have 
since  reported  annually  to  the  governor  their 
proceedings.  The  Wisconsin  State  horticultural 
Society,  although  previously  organized,  first  un- 
der the  name  of  the  "Wisconsin  Fruit  Growers' 
Association,"  was  not  incorporated  until  the 
24th  of  .March,  1871 — the  object  of  the  society 
being  to  improve  the  condition  of  horticulture, 
rural  adornment  and  landscape  gardening.  By 
a  law  of  1868  provision  was  made  for  the  pub- 
lication of  the  society's  transactions  in  connec- 
tion with  the  State  Agricultural  Society;  but 
by  the  act  of  1871  this  law  was  repealed  and  an 
appro])riation  made  for  their  yearly  publication 
in  separate  form.  The  society  holds  annual 
meetings  at  Madison. 

In  October,    1871,   occurred     great    fires    in 
northeastern     Wisconsin.      The      counties     of 
Oconto,  Brown,    Kewaunee,  Door,    Manitowoc, 
Outagamie  and   Shawano  suffered  Tuore  or  less. 
More  than  1,000  men,  women  and  children  per- 
ished.   More  than  3,ono  were  rendered  destitute. 
The  loss  of  property  has  been  estimated  at  ^4.- 
000,000.  No  other  calamity  so  awful  in  its  results 
has  ever  visited  Wisconsin.     A   compilation  of 
the    public  statutes  of  the  Stale  was   prepared 
during  the    year   fs7l    by    David   Taylor  (now 
a-<sociate   justice    of    the    supreme    court),  and 
published  in  two  volumes,  known   as  the    "He- 
vised    Statutes  of    1871."     It  was  wholly  a  pri- 
!  vate  undertaking,  but  a  very  creditable  one. 
I      The  Wisconsin  Dairymen's  Association  origi- 
I  nated  in  a  resolution    offered    in    the   .Fefferson 
;  County    Dairymen's  Association,  .Ian.  -Jii,  IS72, 
]  to    issue    a    call    for    a    meeting   of    Wisconsin 
I  dairymen,  to  be  held  at  Waterlown,  Fel).  15, 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


1872.  A  few  gentlemen  met  and  organized  the 
Wise  msin  Dairymen's  Association.  The  aim 
of  the  organization  has  been  to  secure  improved 
methods  of  making  butter  and  cheese  and  the 
best  markets  fur  shipment  and  sale.  ')  he  asso- 
ciation holds  its  annual  meeting  in  January  of 
each  year  for  the  discussion  of  the  dairy  inter- 
ests. Dairy  fairs  are  lield  at  each  meeting. 
There  is  printed  annually  by  the  State  printer 
2,000  copies  of  the  transactions  of  the  associa- 
tion. The  Legislature  receives  600  copies,  the 
State  Historical  Society,  Academy  of  Sciences, 
Arts  and  Letters,  State  Agricultural  Society 
and  Northern  Wisconsin  Agricultural  Associa- 
tion receive  forty  copies  each;  the  remainder 
are  distributed  to  tiie  members  of  the  associa- 
tion and  generally  over  the  State  to  all  who 
make  application  for  them.  The  association 
receives  its  support  from  members  who  join 
each  year,  paying  the  sum  of  $1,  and  by 
appropriations  from  the  State.  Wisconsin  won 
first  i)remium  on  butter  in  competition  with  the 
world;  the  second  premium  on  Clieddar  cheese 
(the  first  going  to  Canada),  and  the  second  on 
fancy  shaped  cheese  at  tlie  International  Dairy 
Fair,  held  in  New  York  city  in  December,  187  7. 
To  the  D.iir}  men's  Association  belongs  the 
credit  of  raising  tlie  reputation  of  Wisconsin 
cheese  and  butter  from  tlie  lowest  to  the  high- 
est rank. 

On  the  23d  of  Vlarcli,  1 67:},  Lieut.-Gov. 
Milton  H.  Pettitt  died  suddenly  and  unex- 
pectedly. Tiie  Legislature  this  year  pa.ssed  an 
act  providing  for  a  geological  survey  of  the 
State,  to  be  completed  within  four  years,  by  a 
chief  geologist  and  four  assistants,  to  be  ap- 
pointed by  the  governor,  appropriating  for  tlie 
work  an  annual  payment  of  $13,000.  An  act, 
approved  March  25,  1 8.5.3,  authorized  the  gov- 
ernor to  appoint  a  State  geologist,  who  was  to 
select  a  suitable  ])er8on  as  assistant  geologist. 
Under  this  law  Edward  Daniels,  on  the  1st  day 
of  April,  1853,  was  appointed  State  geologist, 
superseded  on  the  12th  day  of  August,  1854,  by 
James  G.  Percival,  who  died  in  office  on  the  2d 


of  May,  1856.  By  an  act  approved  March  3, 
! 857,  James  Hall,  Ezra  Carr  and  Edward  Dan- 
iels were  ajjpointed  by  the  Legislature  geolog- 
ical commissioners.  By  an  act  approved  April 
2,  1860,  Hall  was  made  principal  of  the  com- 
mission. The  survey  was  interrupted  by  a  re- 
peal March  2],  1862,  of  previous  laws  promoting 
it.  However,  to  complete  the  survey,  ihe  mat- 
ter was  re-instated  by  the  act  of  this  Legisla- 
ture, approved  March  29,  the  governor,  under 
that  act,  appointing  as  chief  geologist  Increase 
A.  Lapham,  April  10,  1873.  On  the  16th  of 
February,  1875,  O.  W.  Wight  succeeded  Lap- 
ham,  but  on  the  2d  of  February,  1876,  T.  C. 
Chamberlain  was  appointed  Wight's  successor, 
and  still  holds  the  office.  He  has  published 
four  volumes  of  reports  in  a  very  able  mannei, 
e.vlending  from  1873  to  1879,  inclusive.  Re- 
ports were  also  published  by  his  predecessors. 

And  just  here  it  may  not  be  inappropriate  to 
say  a  word  concerning  the  physical  history  of 
Wisconsin.  "This  can  be  traced  back  with 
certainty  to  a  state  of  complete  submergence 
beneath  the  waters  of  the  ancient  ocean,  by 
which  the  material  of  our  oldest  and  deepest 
strata  were  deposited.  Let  an  extensive  but 
shallow  sea,  covering  the  wliole  of  the  present 
territory  of  the  State,  be  pictured  to  the  mind, 
and  let  it  be  imagined  to  be  depositing  mud  and 
sand,  as  at  the  present  day,  and  we  have  before 
us  the  first  authentic  stage  of  the  history  under 
consideration.  Back  of  that  the  history  is  lost 
in  the  mists  of  geologic  antiquity.  The  thick- 
ness of  the  sediments  that  accumulated  in  that 
early  period  was  immense,  being  measured  by 
tliousands  of  feet.  These  sediments  occupied, 
of  course,  an  essentially  horizontal  position,  and 
were  doubtless  in  a  large  degree  hardened  into 
beds  of  impure  sandstone,  shale  and  other  sedi- 
mentary rock.  But  in  the  progress  of  time  an 
enormous  pressure,  attended  by  heat,  was 
brought  to  bear  upon  them  laterally,  or  edge- 
wise, by  which  they  were  folded  and  crumpled 
and  forced  up  out  of  the  water,  giving  rise  to 
an  island,  the  nucleus  of  Wisconsin.    The  force 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


63 


wliich  produced  this  upheaval  is  believed  to 
have  arisen  from  the  cooling  and  consequent 
contraction  of  the  globe.  .The  foldings  may  be 
imagined  as  the  wrinkles  of  a  shrinking  earth. 
But  the  contortion  of  the  beds  was  a  scarcely 
more  wonderful  result  than  the  change  in  the 
characterof  the  rock  which  seems  to  have  taken 
place  simultaneously  with  the  folding,  indeed, 
as  the  result  of  the  heat  and  pressure  attending 
it.  'I'he  sediments,  that  seem  to  have  previously 
taken  the  form  of  impure  sandstone  and  shale 
for  the  most  part,  underwent  a  change,  in  which 
re-arrangement  and  crystalization  of  the  ingre- 
dients played  a  conspicuous  part.  By  this  met- 
amorphism  granite,  gneiss,  mica  schist,  syenite, 
hornblende  rocks,  chloritic  schists  and  other 
crystalline  rocks  were  formed."*  But  to  pur- 
sue further  an  inquiry  into  the  geological  struc- 
ture of  the  State  would  be  foreign  to  this  brief 
historical  sketch  of  Wisconsin.  The  subject  is 
ably  treated  of  in  the  geological  reports  before 
referred  to. 

The  actual  mineral  resources  of  Wisconsin 
remain  very  largely  to  be  developed,  Its  useful 
mineral  material  comes  under  the  head  of  me- 
talic  ores  and  non-metalic  substances.  Of  the 
first  class  are  the  ores  of  lead,  zinc,  iron  and 
copper;  of  the  second  class  are  the  principal 
substances  found  in  brick-clay,  kaolin,  cement 
rock,  limestone  for  burning  into  quick  limo, 
limestone  for  flux,  glass-sand,  peat  and  build- 
ing stone.  In  Wisconsin  lead  and  zinc  are 
found  together  ;  the  former  has  been  utilized 
since  lS2ti,  the  latter  since  1860.  The  coun- 
ties of  La  Fayette,  Iowa  and  Grant — the 
southwestern  counties  of  the  State — are  known 
as  the  "  leail  region."  All  the  lead  and  zinc 
obtained  in  Wisconsin  are  fr(,rn  these  counties. 
The  lead  ore  is  of  one  kind  only — that  known 
as  galena.  A  large  anidunt  is  produced  yearly 
from  the  variirus  mining  districts  in  the  lead 
region.  The  number  of  pounds  raised  from 
single  crevices  has    often    been     several    hun- 

•T.  C.  Cbamberlain,   State  Oeoloffist,  In  Illustrated  Hist. 
Atlas  of  Wisconsin. 


drod  thousand.  The  zinc  ores  werelformerly 
rejected  as  useless,  but  their  value  is,  beyond 
doubt,  very  great,  and  they  will  be  a  sourca 
of  wealth  to  the  lead  region  for  a  long  time 
.to  come,  as  they  are  now  extensively  utilized. 
Iron  mining  in  the  State  is  yet  in  its  infancy. 
Numbers  of  blast  furnaces  have  sprung  up  in 
the  eastern  portion,  but  these  smelt  Michigan 
ores  almost  entirely.  The  several  ores  in  Wis- 
consin are  red  hematites,  brown  hematites, 
mugnet'c  ores  and  specular  hematites  ;  the 
first  are  found  in  Dodge  county  ;  the  second 
in  Portage,  Wood  and  Juneau  ;  the  two  last 
in  Bayfield,  Ashland,  Lincoln  and  Oconto 
counties. 

The  thirteenth  administration  (C.  C.  Wash- 
burn, governor)  ended  with  the  year  1873, 
the  republican  party  in  the  State  being  de- 
feated for  the  first  time  since  the  commence- 
ment of  Randall's  administration.  The  session 
of  the  Legislature  of  1874  was  a  noted  on<'  for 
the  passage  of  the  "Potter  Law,"  limiting  the 
compensation  for  the  transportation  of  passen- 
gers, classifying  freight,  and  regulating  prices 
for  its  carriage  on  railroads  within  Wisconsin. 
Three  railroad  commissioners  were  to  be  ap- 
poiiitetl  by  the  governor ;  one  for  one  year, 
one  for  two  years,  and  one  for  three  years, 
whose  terms  of  office  should  commence  on  the 
Nth  day  of  May,  and  the  governor,  thereafter, 
on  the  first  day  of  May,  of  eacli  year,  siiould 
a|)])<)inl  one  commissioner  for  three' years.  Ll^n- 
(ler  this  law  the  governor  appointed  J.  H.  Os- 
born,  for  three  years;  (leorge  IL  Paul,  for  two 
years;  and  J.  W.  Iloyt,  for  one  year,  tender 
executive  direction,  this  conimi.<sion  inaugura- 
ted its  labors  by  compiling,  classifying,  and 
putting  into  convenient  form  for  public  use  for 
the  first  time,  all  the  railroad  legislation  of  the 
State.  In  1876  this  board  was  abolished  and  a 
railroad  commissioner,  to  be  ap{)ointed  by  tlie 
governor  every  two  years,  was  to  take  its  place. 
This  latter  office  was  made  elective  in  1881. 
The  commissioners  who  have  held  office  under 
these  various  laws  are  :   John  W.  Hoyt,    from 


64 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


April  29,  1874,  to  March  10,  1876;  George  H. 
Paul,  from  April  29,  1874,  to  March  10,  1876  ; 
Joseph  II.  Osborn,  from  April  '  9,  1874,  to 
March  10,  1876;  Dana  C.  Lamb,  from  March 
10,  1876,  to  Feo.  1,  1878;  A.J.  Turner,  from 
Feb.  1,  18V8,  to  Feb.  15,  1882;  N.  P,  Hangeu, 
from  Feb.  15,  1881,  and  now  in  office.  The 
"Potter  Law"  was  resisted  by  the  railroad  com 
panics,  but  ultimately  the  complete  and  abso- 
lute power  of  the  people,  through  the  Legisla- 
ture, to  modify  or  altogether  repeal  their  char- 
ters was  fully  sustained  by  the  courts  both  of 
the  State  and  the  United  States.  The  necessity 
for  railroads  in  Wisconsin  began  to  be  felt 
while  yet  it  was  an  appendage  of  Michigan 
territory.  Great  advantages  were  anticipated 
from  their  construction.  There  was  a  reason 
for  this.  Explorers  had  published  accounts  of 
the  wonderful  fertility  of  Wisconsin's  soil,  the 
wealth  of  its  broad  prairies  and  forest  even- 
ings, and  the  beauty  of  its  lakes  and  river.<!. 
Frtim  1836,  with  the  hope  of  improving  their 
condition,  thousands  of  the  enterprising 
yeomanry  of  New  England,  New  York 
and  Ohio  started  for  the  territory.  Ger- 
mans, Scandinavians,  and  otlier  Nationali- 
ties, attracted  by  the  glowing  accounts 
sent  abroad,  crossed  the  ocean  on  their 
way  to  the  new  world  ;  steamers  ainl  sail-craft 
laden  with  families  and  their  household  goods 
left  Buffalo  and  other  lake  ports,  all  bound  for 
Wisconsin.  With  the  development  of  the 
agricultuial  resources  of  the  territory,  grain 
raising  became  the  most  prominent  intei'est, 
and  as  the  settlements  extended  back  from  the 
lake  shore  the  difficulties  of  transportation  of 
the  products  of  the  soil  were  seriously  felt. 
The  expense  incurred  in  moving  a  load  of  pro- 
duce seventy  or  eighty  miles  to  a  market  town 
on  the  lake  shore  frequently  exceeded  the  gross 
sum  obtained  for  the  same.  All  goods,  wares 
and  merchandise,  and  most  of  the  lumber  used 
were  hauled  by  teams  from  Lake  Michigan. 
To  meet  the  great  want,  better  facilities  for 
transportation,  railroads  were  an  indispensable 


necessity.  Between  the  years  1838  and  1841, 
the  territorial  Legislature  of  Wisconsin  char 
tered  several  railroERi  companies,  but  with  the 
exception  of  the  Milwaukee  &  Waukesha  Rail- 
road Company,  incorporated  in  1847,  none  of 
the  corporations  thus  created  took  any  particu- 
lar shape.  There  are  now  in  Wisconsin  the 
following  railroads,  costing,  in  round  numbers, 
$150,000,000:  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul; 
Chicago  &  Northwestern;  Chicago,  St.  Paul, 
Minneapolis  &  Omaha;  Milwaukee,  Lake  Shore 
&  ^Vestern;  Wisconsin  Central;  Green  Bay  & 
Minnesota;  Green  Bay,  Winona  &  St.  Paul; 
Wisconsin  &  Minnesota;  Chippewa  Falls  &■ 
Western;  Fond  du  Lac,  Amboy  &  Peoria; 
Prairie  du  Chien  &  McGregor;  Milwaukee  & 
Northern;  Chippewa  Falls  &  Northern,  iiid 
Wisconsin  &  Michigan.  Other  lines  are  still 
needed,  and  present  lines  should  be  extended  by 
branch  roads.  The  questions,  as  we  have  seen, 
upon  which  great  issues  have  been  raised 
between  railway  corporations  in  Wisconsin  and 
the  people,  are  now  happily  settled  by  securing 
to  the  latter  their  rights ,  and  the^  former, 
under  the  wise  and  conciliatory  policy  [pursued 
by  their  managers,  are  assured  of  the  safely  of 
their  investments.  An  ei-a  of  good  feeling'^has 
succeeded  one  of  distrust  and  antagonism. 
The  people  must  use  the  railroads,  and  the  rail- 
loads  depend  upon  the  people  for  sustenance 
and  protection. 

Ill  1874  the  Wisconsin  commission  lor  the 
pu.pose  of  fish  culture  was  organized.  The 
iicxt  year,  by  reason  of  State  aid,  the  commis- 
sion was  enabled  to  commence  work.  In  1876 
was  completed  the  purcha.se  of  grounds,  the 
erection  of  the  buildings,  and  the  construction 
of  the  ponds  (seven  in  number)  of  the  Madi- 
son hatchery,  situated  in  the  town  of  Fitch- 
burg,  Dane  county.  A  temporary  hatching 
house  was  continued  for  some  time  in  Milwau- 
kee, for  the  hatching  of  spawn  of  the  white 
tish  and  lake  trout.  The  commission  was  re- 
organized in  1878,  the  number  of  the  members 
being  increased    from  four  to    seven.     Appro- 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


65 


priatioiis  by  tlie  Legislature  have  been  con- 
liiiucil,  ami  llio  work  ]ir()iiiiscs  I'avorable^i'esults 
to  tlie  Slate. 

Under  an  act  of  IHlb  an  Industrial  School 
for  girls  was  organized  in  Milw-iukee,  where 
buildings  have  been  erected,  capable  of  accom- 
modating 150  inmates.  Its  proper  subjectsare: 
(1.)  Viciously  inclined  girls  under  sixteen,  and 
boys  under  ten  years  of  age;  (2.)  The  stubborn 
and  unruly,  who  refuse  to  obey  their  proper 
guardians;  (.S.)  Truants,  vagrants  and  beggars; 
(4.)  Those  found  in  circumstances  of  manifest 
danger  of  falling  into  habits  of  vice  and  im- 
morality; (5.)  'I'hose  under  the  above  ages  who 
have  committed  any  offense  punishable  by  fine 
or  imprisonment  in  adult  offenders.  Although 
the  school  was  founded  by  private  charity,  and 
is  under  the  control  of  a  self-perpetuating  board 
of  managers,  it  is  incorporated  and  employed 
by  the  State  for  the  custody,  guardianshiji, 
discipline  and  instruction  of  the  aforenamed 
children.  In  default  of  responsible  and  efhcient 
guardianship,  they  are  treated  as  the  minors 
antl  wards  of  the  State,  and  by  it  are  committed 
to  the  guartlianship  of  this  board  of  la<lies 
during  minority. 

The  application  of  Miss  Lavinia  Cioodell  for 
admission  to  tlii^  bar  of  VVis(u)iisiii,  was  rejected 
by  the  supreme  court  at  its  .lanuary  term,  1870; 
but  as  a  law  substMpiently  passed  the  Legisla- 
ture, making  ladies  eligib'e  to  practice  in  the 
several  courts  of  the  State,  she  was,  upon  a 
second  a]>pIication,  admitted. 

Hy  an  act  approved  jMarch  i:i,  IS^O,  a  State 
board  of  iiealth  was  established,  the  appoint- 
ment of  a  superintendent  of  vital  statistics  pro- 
vided for,  anil  certain  duties  assigned  to  local 
boards  of  health.  The  State  board  was  organ- 
ized soon  after,  seven  persons  having  been  ap- 
pointed by  the  governor  as  its  members.  And 
here  it  is  proper  to  say  a  word  as  t<>  the  health 
of  VVisconsin.  "When  we  compare  the  general 
death-rate  of  Wisconsin  with  that  of  the  other 
States  of  the  Union,  we  find  that  it  compares 
most   favorably    with    that    of    Vermont,    the 


healthiest  of  the  New  England  States.  The 
United  States  census  of  1850,  1800  and  1870, 
gives  Wisconsin  ninety-four  deaths  to  10,000  of 
the  population,  while  it  gives  Vermont  101  to 
every  10,000  of  her  inhabitants.  The  census  of 
1870  shows  that  the  death-rate  from  consump- 
tion in  Minnesota,  Iowa,  California  and  Wis- 
consin are  alike.  These  four  States  show  the 
lowest  death-rate  among  the  States  from  con- 
sumption, the  mortality  being  thirteen  to  fourteen 
per  cent,  of  the  whole  death-rate.  Climatologic- 
ally  considered,  then,  there  is  not  a  more  healthy 
State  in  the  Union  than  the  State  of  Wiscon- 
sin. But  for  health  purposes  something  more 
is  requisite  than  climate.  Climate  and  soil 
must  be  equally  good.  Men  should  shun  the 
soil,  no  matter  how  rich  it  be,  if  the  climate  is 
inimical  to  health,  and  rather  choose  the  cli- 
mate that  is  salubrious,  even  if  the  soil  is  not  so 
rich.  In  Wisconsin,  generally  speaking,  the 
soil  and  climate  are  equally  conducive  to  health, 
and  alike  good  for  agricultural  purposes."* 

There  was  in  Wisconsin  a  general  feeling  of 
patriotism  (if  the  acts  of  its  citizens,  both  native 
and  foreign  born,  are  to  be  taken  as  an  indica- 
tion of  their  attachment  to  their  country),  mani- 
fested throughout  the  centennial  year,  1876. 
A  board  of  State  centennial  managers  was  pro- 
vided for  by  the  Legislature,  to  represent  Wis- 
consin at  the  Philadelphia  exhibition,  and  $20, 
000  appropriated  for  their  use,  to  make  there  a 
[iroper  exhibition  of  the  products,  resources  and 
advantages  of  the  State.  Under  a  law  of  this 
year,  three  revisors,  afterward  increased  to  five, 
were  appointed  to  revise  the  statutes  of  the 
Slate.  The  result  was  a  large  volume,  ably  col- 
lated, known  as  the  Revised  Statutes  of  1878, 
which  was  legalized  by  act  of  the  June  session 
of  the  Legisl.ature  of  that  year.  On  the  19th  of 
October,  ISHO,  Chief  .Justice  Edward  Ct.  Ryan 
departed  this  life,  in  the  seventieth  year  of  his 
age.  lie  was  buried  in  Milwaukee,  with,  honors 
becoming  the   position  held  by  him  at  the  time 

•Dr.  Joseph  Hobbius,  In   Illustrated    Historical   Atlas  of 
Wisconsin. 


66 


HISTORY"  OF  WISCONSIN. 


of  his  death.  His  successor,  as  previously 
stated,  is  Chief  Justice  Orsamus  Cole. 

By  an  act  of  the  Legislature  of  1881,  a  board 
of  supervision  of  Wisconsin  charitable,  re- 
formatory and  penal  institutions  was  founded. 
The  boards  of  trustees  by  which  these  insti- 
tutions had  been  governed  since  their  organi- 
zation were  abolished  by  the  same  law.  The 
board  of  supervision  consists  of  five  members, 
who  hold  their  office  for  five  years,  and  who 
are  appointed  by  the  governor,  the  Senate  con- 
curring. The  board  acts  as  commissioners  of 
lunacy,  and  has  full  power  to  investigate  all 
complaints  against  any  of  the  institulions  un  ■'er 
its  control,  to  send  for  books  and  papers,  sum- 
mon, compel  thi'  attendance  of,  and  swear  wit- 
nesses. The  powers  delegated  to  this  board 
are  so  extraordinary,  and  its  duties  so  manifold, 
that  a  recital  of  tliem  will  be  found  of  interest. 
They  are  as  follows  : 

(1.)  To  maintain  and  govern  the  Wisconsin 
State  Hospital  for  the  Insane,  the  Northern 
Hospital  for  the  Insane,  the  Wisconsin  State 
Prison,  the  Wisconsin  Industrial  School  for 
Boys,  the  Wisconsin  Institution  for  the  Educa- 
tion of  the  Blind,  and  the  Wisconsin  Institution 
for  the  Education  of  the  Deaf  and  Dumb  ;  and 
such  other  charitable  and  penal  institutions  as 
may  hereafter  be  established  or  maintained  by 
the  State.  (2.)  To  carefully  supervise  and 
direct  the  management  and  affairs  of  said  in- 
stitutions, and  faithfully  and  diligently  promote 
the  objects  for  which  the  same  have  been 
established.  (3)  To  preserve  and  care  for  the 
buildings,  grounds  and  all  property  connected 
with  the  said  institutions.  (4.)  To  take  and 
hold  in  trust  for  the  said  several  institutions 
any  land  conveyed  or  devised,  or  money  or 
property  given  or  bequeathed,  to  be  applied  for 
any  purpose  connected  therewith,  and  faithfully 
to  apply  the  same  as  directed  by  the  donor,  and 
faithfully  to  apply  all  funds,  effects  and  property 
which  may  be  received  for  the  use  of  such 
institutions.  (5.)  To  make  on  or  before  Octo- 
ber 1  in  each  year,  full  and  complete  annual  in- 


ventories and  appraisals  of  all  the  property  of 
each  of  said  institutions,  which  inventories  and 
appi'aisals  shall  be  recorded,  and  shall  be  so 
classified  as  to  separately  show  the  amount, 
kind  and  value  of  all  real  and  personal  ])roperty 
belonging  to  such  institutions.  (6.)  To  make 
such  by-laws,  rules  and  regulations,  not  incom- 
patible with  law,  as  it  shall  deem  convenient  or 
necessary  for  the  government  of  the  said  insti- 
tutions and  for  its  own  government,  and  cause 
the  same  to  be  printed.  (7.)  To  visit  and  care- 
fully inspect  each  of  said  institutions  as  often 
as  once  in  each  month,  either  by  the  full  board 
or  by  some  member  thereof,  and  ascertain 
whether  all  officers,  teachers,  servants  and  em- 
ployees in  such  institutions  are  competent  and 
faithful  w  the  discharge  of  their  duties,  and  all 
inmates  thereof  properly  cared  for  and  governed, 
and  all  accounts,  account  books  and  vouchers 
properly  kept,  and  all  the  business  affairs 
thereof  properly  conducted.  (8.)  To  fix  the 
number  of  subordinate  officers,  teachers,  ser- 
vants and  employees  in  each  of  said  institutions, 
and  prescribe  the  duties  and  compensa'ion  of 
each,  and  to  employ  the  same  upon  the  nomi- 
nation of  the  respective  superintendents  and 
wardens.  (9.)  To  promptly  remove  or  discharge 
any  officer,  teacher  or  employe  in  any  of  said 
institutions,  who  shall  be  guilty  of  any  malfeas- 
ance or  misbehavior  in  office,  or  of  neglect,  or 
improper  discharge  of  duty.  (10.)  To  annually 
appoint  for  the  Wisconsin  State  Hospital  for 
the  Insane  and  for  the  Northern  Hospital  for 
the  Insane,  for  each,  a  superintendent,  one 
assistant  physician,  a  matron,  a  steward  and  a 
treasurer  ;  and  for  the  Institution  for  the  Edu- 
cation of  the  Blind,  and  the  Institution  for  the 
Education  of  the  Deaf  and  Dumb,  and  the  In- 
dustrial School  for  Boys,  for  each,  a  superin- 
tendent, a  steward,  a  treasurer,  and  all  necessary 
teachers  ;  and  for  the  State  prison,  a  warden, 
a  steward  and  a  treasurer,  who  shall  be  the 
officers  of  said  institutions  respectively  and 
whose  duties  shall  be  fixed  by  said  board, 
except  as  herein  otherwise  provided.     (H.)  To 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


67 


maintain  and  govern  the  school,  prescribe  the 
course  of  stmly  and  provide  tlie  necessary  ap- 
paratus and  means  of  instruction  for  the  Insti- 
tution for  the  Education  of  the  Blind,  and  for 
the  Institution  for  the  Education  of  the  Deaf 
and  Dumb.  (12)  To  prescribe  and  collect 
such  charges  as  it  may  think  just,  for  tuition  and 
maintenance  of  pupils  not  entitled  to  the  same 
free  of  charge,  in  the  Institution  for  the  Educa- 
tion of  the  Blind  and  in  the  Institution  for  the 
Education  of  the  Deaf  and  Dumb.  (13.)  To 
fix  the  period  of  the  academic  year,  not  less 
than  forty  weeks,  and  prescribe  the  school 
terms  in  the  Institution  for  the  Education  of 
the  Blind  and  the  Institution  for  the  Education 
of  the  Deaf  and  Dumb.  (U.)  To  confer,  in 
its  discretion,  ui)on  meritorious  pupils,  such 
academic  and  literary  degrees  as  are  usually 
conferred  by  similar  institutions,  and  grant 
diplomas  accordingly,  in  the  Institution  for  the 
Education  of  the  Blind  and  in  the  Institution 
for  the  Education  of  the  Deaf  and  Dumb. 

On  the  20th  of  April,  188.3,  a  commissioner 
was  appointed  by  the  governor,  for  two  years, 
in  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  an  act 
p.issed  by  the  Legislature  of  that  year  creating 
a  bureau  of  labor  statistics.  The  object  of  this 
office,  now  filled  by  Frank  A.  Flower,  is  to  col- 
lect manufacturing  and  labor  statistics,  report 
violations  of  laws  for  benefit  of  artisans,  and 
generally  to  show  the  manufacturing  condition 
and  resources  of  the  State. 

In  her  political  divisions  Wisconsin  has 
copied,  to  a  considerable  e.\tent,  from  some  of 
her  sister  States.  These  divisions  are  counties, 
towns,  cities  and  incorporated  villages.  The 
county  government  is  in  charge  of  a  county 
board  of  supervisors,  consisting  of  the  chairman 
of  each  town  board,  a  su]H'rvisor  from  each 
ward  of  every  city,  and  one  from  each  incorpo- 
rated village.  The  county  officers  are  :  Clerk, 
treasurer,  sheriff,  coroner,  clerk  of  circuit  court, 
district  attorney,  register  of  deeds,  surveyor, 
and  one  or  two  superintendents  of  schools,  all 
elected  biciiniallv.     There   are  sixtv-five   coun- 


ties in  the  State.  The  government  of  the 
towns  is  in  charge  of  a  town  board  of  super- 
visors. The  other  officers  are  clerk,  treasurer, 
assessors,  justices  of  the  peace,  overseers  of 
highways  and  constables.  The  government  of 
cities  depends  upon  charters  granted  by  the 
State  Legislature.  Generally,  there  is  a  mayor, 
common  council,  clerk,  treasurer,  attorney,  chief 
of  police,  fire  marshal  and  surveyor.  Incorpo- 
rated villages  are  governed  by  a  president  and 
six  trustees.  The  other  officers  are  clerk,  treas- 
urer, supervisor,  marshal  and  constable,  and 
sometimes  a  justice  of  the  peace  or  police  jus- 
tice. 

The  constitution  of  Wisconsin,  adopted  by 
the  people  in  1>^48,  is  still  "the  supreme  law  of 
the  State  ;"  but  it  has  several  times  been 
amended,  or  had  material  additions  made  to  it : 

(I.)  Article  V,  section  21,  relating  to  the  pay 
of  the  members  of  the  Legislature.  This  was 
amended  in   1867. 

(2.)  Article  VI,  sections  5  and  9,  relating  to 
the  salaries  of  the  governor  and  lieutenant-gov- 
ernor.    This  was  amended  in  1869. 

(3.)  Article  I,  section  8,  relating  to  grand 
juries.     This  was  amended  in  1870. 

(4.)  Article  IV,  sections  31  and  32,  relating  to 
special  legislation.  These  sections  were  added 
in   1871. 

(5.)  Article  XI,  section  3,  relating  to  munic- 
ipal taxation.     This  was  amended  in  1874. 

(6.)  Article  VII,  section  4,  relating  to  the 
number  and  term  of  the  judges  of  the  supreme 
court.  This  was  substituted  for  the  original 
section    in  1877. 

(7.)  Article  VIII,  section  2,  relating  to  claims 
against  the  State.     This  was  amended  in  is77. 

(8.)  Article  IV,  sections  4,  5,  11  and  21,  re- 
lating to  biennial  sessions,  and  a  change  in 
salaries  and  peniuisites  of  members  of  the 
Legislature.  These  were  thus  amended  in 
1881. 


68 


HISTORY  OF  WISCONSIN. 


(9)  Article  III,  section  1,  relating  to  resi- 
dence of  voters  in  election  districts  some  time 
before  the  election,  and  to  registration  of  voters 
in  cities  and  villages.  Amended  to  this  effect 
in  1882. 


(10.)  Article  VI,  section  4,  article  VII,  sec- 
tion 12,  and  article  XIII,  section  1,  all  relating 
to  biennial  elections.  Amended  to  this  effect 
in  1882.* 

*A.  O.  Wright,  in  Exposition  of  tlie  Constitution  of  the 
State  of  Wisconsin. 


HISTORY 


OF 


CRAWFORD   COUNTY, 


AATisoonsrsinsr. 


C  H  A  P  1^  E  R     I  . 


a:«''a,  position  and  physical  features. 


BKKOKE  filtering  upon  a  consideralion  of 
tlic  liiftory  of  Crawford  county,  past  and 
prosoiit,  it  is  a  matter  of  importance  to  under- 
stand its  area  and  geograpliical  position. 

AREA. 

Crawford  county,  in  aren,  ranks  among  the 
soutlicrii  counties  of  Wisconsin  as  one  of  aver- 
age size.  It  includes  twenty-seven  whole,  half 
and  fractional  congressional  townships  with  an 
average  in  each  as  folh)ws: 

AREA    OF    TOWNSIIU'S. 

Acres. 

Township  6.  of  range  5  west. 812  32 

6     "  5,648  84 

"  '•      "        7    "  980  12 

7  "      "        3     "  143  15 

"    "       "        4    "  7,844  01 

'■   "       "        5     "  19, 40;  10 

6  "  22,028  57 

7  "    2,.'J64  24 

8  "       '■        3     "  15,258  85 

••  "       "        4     "  22,.507  37 

•     '■      "        r,     "  33,350  73 


V.  r.sliip  (!  of  range 


Acres. 

6  we.sl 21,317  03 

7    "  1,627  .57 

3  "  23,003  24 

4  "  22,739  57 

5  ■' 23,20H  70 

6  "  9,596  22 

3  "  23,078  53 

4  "  22  884  87 

5  "  23, .540  80 

6  •■  '. 17,475  44 

7  "  4,705  79 

3  •'  13,026  24 

4  " 11,498  82 

5  "  11,580  96 

6  "  11,60(1  08 

7  "  3,679  06 


This  does  not  inchide  tlie  area  of  the  ])rivate 
land  claims  confirmed  to  different  parties  hy 
the  United  States,  and  located  on  the  i)rairie, 
the  same  on  which  the  city  of  Prairie  du  CJiien 
is  situated.  The  extreme  length  of  the  cDtinty, 
north  and   south,  is   twentv-ninc    and    one-half 


10 


11 


HISTORY  OF  CRATVFORD  COUNTY. 


miles;  its  extreme  widtli,east  and  west,  twenty- 
eight  miles. 

POSITION. 

Crawford  county  is  bounded  on  the  north  by 
Vernon  county;  on  the  east  by  the  counties  of 
Richland  and  Grant;  on  the  south  by  the 
county  last  mentioned;  and  on  the  west  by 
Allamakee  and  Clayton  counties,  Iowa.  It  is 
in  the  second  tier  of  counties  north  of  the 
northern  boundary  of  the  State  of  Illinois;  its 
northern  line  being  a  distance  from  the  south- 
ern boundary  line  of  Wisconsin,  in  a  straight 
course,  of  sixty-three  miles.  The  eastern  line 
of  the  county  is  144  miles  distant  from  the 
western  shore  of  Lake  Michigan.  A  dis- 
tance from  its  northeast  corner  of  ■225 
miles,  due  north,  is  the  nearest  point  on  the 
southern  shore  of  Lake  Superior. 

PHYSICAL  FEATURES. A  BIEd's-ETE  VIEW. 

[From  the  Illustrated  Historical  Atlas  of  Wisconsin.  1878.1 

At  Prairie  de  Chien,  the  prairie  is  underlaid 
by  about  1  40  feet  of  sand  and  gravel — river  de- 
posit— under  which  commences  the  Potsdam 
sandstone  formation.  This  has  been  pene- 
trated to  the  depth  of  1016  feet  in  boring  an 
artesian  welt,  without  reaching  the  granite. 
Above  the  plain  at  this  place,  the  Magnesian 
limestone  rises  in  perpendicular  cliffs  to  the 
height  of  about  250  feet.  Above  this,  the 
bluff  slopes  back  to  a  perpendicular  height  of 
about  100  feet.  This  slope  is  com- 
posed of  the' St.  Peter's  sandstone,  and  the 
lower  portion  of  the  Trenton  limestone.  The 
formation  of  the  whole  of  Crawford  county  is  of 
similar  character.  The  county  is  bounded  on 
the  west  by  the  Mississippi  river;  on  the  south 
by  the  Wisconsin.  The  waters  of  these  rivers 
have  worn  out  deep  channels  in  the  rock,  pro- 
ducing beetling  bluffs  on  either  side.  The 
Kickapoo  river  runs  diagonally  through  the 
county  from  northeast  to  southwest,  in  conse- 
quence of  which  the  face  of  the  county  is  worn 
into  deep  ravines.  A  very  narrow  ridge  runs 
the  whole  length  from  northeast  to  southwest, 
sloping  off  abruptly — to  the  Kickapoo    on   one 


hand  and  Mississippi  or  "Wisconsin  on  the 
other.  This  ridge  forms  an  admirable  wagon 
road. 

The  ►oil  of  Crawford  county  is  rich  in  the 
elements  necessary  for  vegetable  growth.  It  is 
both  argillaceous  and  calcareous,  mixed  in 
many  places  with  sand  and  universalis  witli  a 
large  proportion  of  vegetable  mold.  T^he  soil 
produces  abundant  crops  of  cereals  and  affords 
good  pasturage.  The  timber  is  composed  of 
oak  of  several  varieties,  hickory,  butternut,  ash, 
elm,  basswood,  hard  and  soft  maple,  quaking 
asp,  white  and  yellow  birch,  and  black 
walnut. 

The  county  has  one  feature  which  is  some- 
what remarkable.  None  of  it  has  been  subject 
to  action  of  the  glacial  period.  There,  is  no 
drift,  nor  are  there  any  boulders  or  water-worn 
pebbles,  except  in  beds  of  streams,  with  only 
one  exception,  which  is  in  a  bed  of  liraonite  at 
Seneca,  where  there  are  numerous  water-worn 
pebbles  imbedded  in  iron  ore.  This  bed  of 
ore  is  situated  on  the  highest  land  in  the 
county. 

At  this  place  there  is  a  considerable  deposit 
of  limonite,  which  has  never  been  worked.  In 
the  town  of  Wauzeka,  there  is  considerable 
copper  ore,  of  the  variety  called  by  miners 
o-ossam.  It  is  found  in  masses  imbedded  in  the 
earth  from  the  size  of  peas  to  fifty  and 
sometimes  100  pounds.  This  ore  yields  about 
twenty-five  per  cent,  of  copper.  At  Bridge- 
port, there  are  extensive  quarries  of  Dolomite  or 
Magnesian  limestone.  These  quarries  are  of 
much  importance,  producing  beautiful  and  dur- 
able building  stone.  It  is  at  present  mostly 
dressed  into  window  caps  and  sills  and 
columns.  In  the  town  of  Wauzeka.  some  lead 
ore  is  found;  but  in  no  large  quantities,  as 
the  Galena  limestone  terminates  in  a  north- 
westerly direction. 

There  are  three  artesian  wells  at  Prairie  du 
Chien,  one  discharging  809,616  gallons  daily. 
This  well  is  960  feet  deep,and  is  said  to  possess 
rare  mineral  qualities.     The  others  are  upward 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


71 


of  1,000  feet  in  depth,  and  discharge  propor- 
tionately large  quantities  of  water.  The  two 
wells  last  mentioned  were  bored  for  the  ))ur- 
pose  of  obtaining  water  to  drive  machinery. 

THE    KIVEUS     OF     TlIK    COUNTY. 

Crawford  county  is  emphatically  the  river 
county  of  Wisconsin.  Leaving  the  smaller 
streams  to  be  described  in  the  record  of  the 
towns,  it  is  sufficient,  in  a  general  view,  to  no- 
tice only  the  Mississippi,  the  Wisconsin  and  the 
Kickapoo. 

I. THK      MISSISSIITI. 

This  is  the  largest  and  most  important  river 
of  the  United  States,  rises  in  the  north  part  of 
Minnesota  at  an  elevation  of  l,6.'-0  feet  above 
the  tide  water.  Its  chief  source  is  Itasca  lake, 
which  is  1,575  feet  higher  than  the  sea,  and 
about  3,000,  or,  as  some  say,  3,1(50  miles  from 
the  mouth  of  the  ri\ei',  and  is  about  laiiludc  47 
degrees,  10  minutes  nortii  and  longitude  Uo  cii- 
grees,  20  minutes  west.  FrcTii  Itasci  hike  it 
runs  first  nortlnvard,  but  soiui  turns  tii\\aid> 
the  east,  and  expands  into  Lake  Cass  and  oiiici 
lakes.  After  flowing  towards  nearly  cvers 
point  of  the  compass,  it  ariive-i  at  Crow  Wing, 
below  which  it  runs  soutliward  to  St.  Cloud  aii'i 
southeastward  to  Minneapolis.  Here  is  a  pic- 
turesque cataract  callcil  the  Kails  of  St.  An- 
th<iny,  which  is  the  head  of  navigation.  The 
river  here  descends  sixty-six  feet  in  less  than 
one  mile,  including  a  perpendicular  fall  of 
seventeen  feet.  It  passes  bj'  the  city  of  St. 
Paul  and  a  few  miles  lower  strikes  the  bound- 
ary of  Wisconsin  and  expands  into  the  long  and 
beautiful  Lake  Pepin,  bordered  by  vertical 
limestone  blulTs,  which  are  about  400  feet  high 
and  very  picttircsque.  Below  Dubuque  its 
general  direction  is  southward,  and  it  forms 
the  boundary  between  the  States  of  Iowa,  Mis- 
souri, Arkansas  and  Louisiana  on  the  right  and 
Illinois,  Kentucky,  Tennessee  and  Mississippi 
on  the  left  hand.  After  an  extremely  sinuous 
course  it  enters  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  by  several 
mouths  at   the    southeast  e.\tremity  of   Plaque- 


mine  parish,   Louisiana,  in  latitude  29  degrees 
north    and   longitude   89   degrees,    12    minutes 
west.  Its  largest  affluents  are  the  Missouri,  Ohio, 
Arkansas    and  Red    rivers,  besides  which  it  re- 
ceives  the   Minnesota,   Iowa  and  Des  Moines 
from  the  right   hand    and   the  Wisconsin   and 
Illinois    rivers   from    the    left.      The    Missouri 
river  is  longer  than  the  part   of  the  Mississippi 
above  the  junction    of   the  two  rivers,  which  is 
called  the  Upper  Mississippi.     The  total  length 
of  the  stream  from  the  sou  ce  of  the  Missouri  to 
the    Gulf  of  Mexico    is  computed    to   be  4,300 
miles,  which  exceeds  that  of  any  other  river  in 
the  world.     'I'lie  area  drained  by  this  river  and 
its  tributaries,   according    to    Prof.  Guyot,    is 
1,244,000  square  miles.    It  is  computed  that  the 
mean  volume   of    water  discharged    l)y    it    in  a 
second    is   U75,000    cubic  feet.     It  is  navigable 
by  large    or   middle-sized    steamboats  from  its 
month    to   St.  Paul,    a  distance    of  about  2,200 
miles.     Steamboats  can   ascend  the  Alissouri  to 
Fort  Benton,  which, :;ocording  to  some,  is  about 
•-'  500    miles    from  its   mouth,    and    3,900  miles 
from  the   mouth  of  the  Mississippi.     The  chief 
cities  on  the  great   river,   giving  precedence  to 
those  nearest  tlie    source,  are  Minneapolis,  St. 
Paul,  La  Crosse,  Dubuque,  Davenport,  Keokuk, 
(^uincy,  Hannibal,  St.  Louis, Memphis  and  Kew 
Orleans.     The    lowest   place  at  which  the  river 
is  crossed  by   a  bridge   is  St.   Louis,  Mo.,  about 
1,400  miles    from    its'  mouth.     This   has  three 
arches  raised    so    high  that  large  steamers  can 
pass  under   it.     The   river  is  3,500  feet  wide  at 
St.   Louis,  about    2,500    at  New    Orleans    ar.d 
4,000  feet  at  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio.    It  appears 
that  it  is  generally  wider  between  Dubuque  and 
St.  Louis  than  it  is  below  the  latter  city.    Three 
other   bridges    cross  the   river    at   Davenport, 
Clinton  and   Dubuque.     The  mean  velocity  of 
the  current  between  St.    Louis  and  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico  is  about  sixty-five  miles  per  day.     'I'he 
Mississippi  Valley  comprises   a  vast   extent  of 
very  fertile  land,  which  is  nearly  level  or  gently 
undulating.     As  the   river  runs  soutliward  and 
traverses    eighteen    degrees    of    latitude,    the 


72 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


climate  and  productions  of  tbe  lower  part  differ 
greatly  from  those  of  the  upper  part  of  the  val- 
ley. In  Louisiana  and  Mississippi  the  river  is 
bordered  hy  alluvial  plains  and  swamps,  which 
are  lower  than  the  surface  of  the  water,  and 
are  often  inundated,  though  partly  protected  by 
artificial  embankments  called  levees.  The 
greatest  floods  occur  in  the  spring,  after  the 
snow  and  ice  of  the  Upper  Mississippi  have 
been  melted.  The  water  begins  to  rise  about 
the  Jst  of  March  and  increases  until  June.  The 
levees  are  sometimes  bursted  or  overcome  by 
the  violence  of  the  flood,  which  rushes  through 
crevices  and  devastates  large  tracts  of  arable 
land  of  which  cotton  and  sugar  are  the  staple 
products.  Such  a  calamity  occurred  in  April, 
1874,  and  i-educed  many  thousand  people  to  des- 
titution. At  the  mouth  of  the  river  a  large  delta 
has  been  formed  by  the  mud  and  detritus  carried 
down  by  the  current.  This  delta  is  intersected 
by  a  number  of  outlets,  or  watercourses,  called 
bayous,  which  issue  from  the  Mississippi,  or  de- 
rive from  it  a  supply  of  water  in  time  of  a 
flood.  "The  whole  area  of  the  delta,"  says 
Dana,  "is  about  12,300  square  miles  and  about 
one-third  is  a  sea-marsh,  only  two-thirds  lying 
above  the  level  of  the  gulf."  The  amount  of 
silt  or  sediment  carried  to  the  Mexican  gulf  by 
this  river,  according  to  Humphreys  and  Abbott, 
is  about  1-1, 500th  the  weight  of  the  water,  equiv- 
alent for  an  average  yea'r  to  812,500,000,000,000 
pounds,  or  a  mass  one  square  mile  in  area  and 
241  feet  deep.  "The  new  soil  deposited  in  one 
year  by  the  Mississispi,"  says  Guyot,  "would 
cover  an  area  of  268  square  miles  with  the 
thickness  of  one  foot."  The  water  enters  the 
gulf  by  five  channels  called  the  Northeast  Pass, 
Southeast  Pass,  South  Pass  etc.  The  navigation  of 
these  passes  is  partly  obstructed  by^  sand  bars, 
which  are  continually  formed  or  shifted,  and  to 
obviate  this  difliculty  a  system  of  jetties  has 
been  constructed  in  the  South  Pass  by  Capt.  J. 
B.  Eads,  by  authority  of  the  National  govern 
ment,  calculated  to  maintain  a  channel  thirty 
feet  in  depth, 


II. THE  WISCONSIN. 

This  stream,  which  washes  for  about  ten 
miles  the  northwest  boundary  of  Dane  county, 
is  much  the  most  important  of  those  which 
drain  the  elevated  lands  of  the  State.  Its  total 
length  from  its  source  lo  its  mouth  is  about  450 
miles.  It  forms,  with  its  valley,  the  main  topo- 
graphical feature  of  central  Wisconsin.  Rising 
in  Lac  Vieux  Desert,  on  the  summit  of  the  Ar- 
chaean watershed,  at  an  elevation  of  951  feet 
above  Lake  Michigan,  it  pursues  a  gener.al 
southerly  course  for  -300  miles  over  the  crystal- 
line rocks,  and  then,  passing  on  to  the  sand- 
stones which  form  its  bed  for  the  remainder 
of  its  course,  continues  to  the  southward  some 
eighty  miles  more.  Turning  then  westward,  it 
reaches  the  Mississippi  within  forty  miles  of 
the  south  line  of  the  State,  at  an  elevation  of 
only  thirty  feet  above  Lake  Michigan,  so  that 
its  fall  from  Lac  Vieux  Desert  is  921  feet — an 
average  of  a  fraction  over  two  feet  to  the  mile. 
Like  all  other  streams  which  run  to  the  south, 
southeast  and  southwest  from  the  crystalline 
rocks,  it  has  its  quite  distinct  upper  or  crystal- 
line rock  portion  and  its  lower  or  sandstone 
portion.  -This  river,  however,  may  be  regarded 
as  having  three  distinct  sections,  the  first  in- 
cluding all  that  part  from  the  source  to  the  last 
appearance  of  crystalline  rocks  in  the  bed  of 
thfe  stream,  in  the  southern  part  of  Wood 
county  ;  the  second,  that  part  from  this  point 
to  the  dells  on  the  south  line  of  Adams  and 
Juneau  counties;  and  the  third,  that  portion 
from  the  dells  to  the  mouth  of  the  stream.  The 
first  of  these  divisions  is  broken  constantly  by 
rapids  and  falls,  caused  by  the  descent  south  of 
the  surface  of  the  Archican  area,  and  by  the 
obstructions  produced  by  the  inclined  ledges  of 
rock  which  cross  the  stream.  The  second  and 
third  sections  are  alike  in  being  almost  entirely 
without  rapids  or  falls,  and  in  the  nature  of  the 
red  rock,  but  are  separated  by  the  contracted 
gorge  known  as  the  dells,  which,  acting  in 
some  sort  as  a  dam,  prevents  any  considerable 
rise  in  the  river  .below,  the  water  above  not  in- 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


frequently  .  rising  as  much  as  fifty  feet  in  flood 
seasons,  whilst  below  the  extreme  fluctualioii 
does  not  exceed  ton  feet.  The  total  lengths  of 
the  Archioan  upper  sandstone  and  lower  sand- 
stone sections  of  the  river  are,  respectively,  250, 
sixty-two  and  130  miles;  the  distance  through 
the  dells  being  about  seven  and  a  half  miles. 
The  width  of  the  river,  where  it  enters  Mara- 
thon county,  is  from  300  to  500  feet.  It  pursues 
a  general  southerly  course  through  townships 
29,28,27,  26,  25  and  2  4  north,  of  range  7  east, 
and  townsliips  24  and  23  north,  of  range  8  east, 
in  the  southern  portion  of  Portage  county. 
In  this  part  of  its  course  the  Wiscon- 
sin flows  througli  a  densely  timbered  country, 
and  has,  except  where  it  makes  rapids  or 
passes  through  rock  gorges,  a  narrow  bottom 
land,  which  varies  in  width,  is  usually  raised 
but  a  few  feet  above  the  water  level,  and  is 
wider  on  one  side  than  on  the  other.  Above 
this  bottom  terraces  can  often  be  made  out, 
with  surfaces  in  some  cases  one  or  two  miles  in 
width.  Above,  again,  the  countrj'  surface 
rises  steadily  to  the  dividing  ridges  on  each 
side,  never  showing  the  blufl^  edges  so  charac- 
teristic of  the  lower  reaches  of  the  river.  Heavy 
rapids  and  falls  are  made  at  Wausau  (Big  Hull 
Falls),  at  jSIosinee  (Little  Bull  Falls),  at  Stevens 
Point  and  on  section  8,  in  township  23  north, 
of  range  8  east  (Contant's  Rapids).  All  but 
the  last  named  of  these  are  increased  in  height 
by  artificial  dams.  Two  miles  below  the  foot 
of  Contant's  Rapids,  just  after  receiving;  the 
Plover  river  on  the  east,  the  Wisconsin  turns  a 
right  angle  to  the  west  and  enters  upon  the 
sparsely  timbered  sand  plains,  through  wliich 
it  flows  for  100  miles.  At  the  bend  the  river 
is  quiet,  with  high  banks  of  sand,  and  a  few 
low  outcro])sof  gneiss  at  the  water's  edge.  From 
the  bend  the  course  is  westward  for  about  nine 
miles,  then,  after  curving  southward  again,  the 
long  series  of  rapids  soon  begins,  which,  with 
intervening  stretches  of  still  water,  extend 
about  fifteen  miTes  along  the  river  to  the  last 
rapid  at  Point  Bass  in  southern   Wood   county. 


East  of  the  river  line,  between  the  city  of 
Grand  Rapids  and  Point  Bass,  the  country 
rises  gradually,  reaching  altitudes  of  100  feet 
above  the  river  at  points  ten  or  fifteen  miles 
distant.  On  the  west  the  surface  is  an  almost 
level  plain,  descending  gradually  as  the  river 
.is  receded  from.  At  Point  Bass  the  gneissic 
rocks  disappear  beneath  the  sandstones  which 
for  some  miles  have  formed  the  upper  portions 
of  the  river  banks  and  now  become  in  turn,  the 
bed  rock,  and  the  first  division  of  the  river's 
course  ends.  The  main  tributaries  which  it 
has  received  down  to  this  point  are,  on  the 
left  bank,  the  Big  Eau  Claire,  three  miles  below 
Wausau ;  the  Little  Eau  Claire,  on  the  north 
side  of  section  3,  in  township  25  north,  of  range 
7  east,  just  south  of  the  north  line  of  Portage 
county  ;  and  the  Big  Plover,  on  section  9,  in 
township  28  north,  of  range  5  east,  just  at  the 
foot  of  Contant's  Rapids  ;  on  the  right  bank, 
the  Placata  or  Big  Rib,  about  two  miles  below 
Wausau  ;  the  She-she-ga-ma-isk,  or  Big  Eau 
Pleine,  on  section  19,  in  township  26  north,  of 
range  7  east,  in  Marathon  county ;  and  the 
Little  Eau  Pleine,  on  section  9,  in  township  25 
north,  of  range  7  east,  in  Portage  county.  All 
of  these  streams  are  of  considerable  size  and 
drain  large  areas.  They  all  make  deviations 
in  their  courses,  so  that  their  lengths  are  much 
greater  than  the  actual  distances  from  their 
sources,  to  the  Wisconsin  at  the  nearest  point  ; 
and  all  of  them  have  a  very  considerable 
descent,  making  many  rapids  and  falls  over  the 
tilled  edges  of  schistose  and  gneissic  rocks, 
evm  down  to  within  short  distances  of  their 
junctions  with  the  main  river. 

The  streams  on  the  west  side  head  on  the 
high  country  along  the  line  of  ^the  fourth 
principal  meridian,  about  forty  miles  west  of 
the  Wisconsin,  and  at  elevations  of  from 
200  to  300  feet  above  their  mouths;  those 
on  the  east,  head  on  the  divide  between  the 
Wisconsin  and  Wolf  about  twenty  miles  east, 
at  elevations  not  very  much  less.  Reaching 
back,  as  these  streams  do,  into  a  country  large- 


u 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


ly  timbered  with  pine,  and  having  so  large  a 
descent,  they  are  of  great  value  for  logging 
and  milling  purposes. 

The    second   section    of  the   Wisconsin  river 
begins   at   Point   Bass   with    a  width    of  from 
700   to  900  feet.     The   next   sixty  miles  of  its 
course,  to   the  head  of  the  dells,  is  a  southerly 
stretch,    with   a   wide    bow  to   the    westward, 
through    sand   plains,  here    and  there  timbered 
with  dwarf  oaks,  and  interspersed  with  marshes. 
Tliese    plains  stretch  away  to  the  east  and  west 
for   twenty  miles  from  the  river  bottom,  gradu- 
ally  rising  in  both  directions.     Scattering  over 
them,  at   intervals  of  one  to  ten  miles,  are  ero- 
sion  peaks   of  sandstone,  from  fifty  to  .500  feet 
in   height,    rising   precipitously   from  the  level 
ground.     Some   of   these    are    near   and  on  the 
bank  of  the  river,  which  is  also,  in  places,  bor- 
dered  by    low,    mural    exposures    of  the  same 
sandstone.     The  river  itself   is  constantly  ob- 
structed   by    shifting  sand  bars,  resulting  from 
the  ancient  disintegration    of    the    sandstone, 
which    in  the    vicinity   everywhere    forms  the 
basement  rock;  but  its  course  is  not  interrupt- 
ed   by   rock   rapids.     As    it  nears  the  northern 
line   of  Columbia  county,  the  high  ground  that 
limits     the    sand    plane   on    the    west,   curving 
southeastward,  finally   reaches    the  edge  of  the 
stream,  which,  by    its    southeasterly  course  for 
the  last  twenty  miles,  has  itself  approached  the 
high  ground  on  the  east.     The  two  ridges  thus 
closing  in  upon  the  river,  have  caused  it  to  cut 
for  itself  the  deep,  narrow  gorge    known  as  the 
dells. 

In  the  section  of  its  course  the  Wisconsin  re- 
ceives several  important  tributaries.  Of  those 
on  the  east  the  principal  ones  are  Duck  creek 
and  Ten  Mile  creek,  in  the  southern  part  of 
Wood  county,  and  tlie  Little  and  Big  Roche — a 
Cris  creeks,  both 'in  Adams  county.  The  two 
former  head  in  a  large  marsh  twenty-five  miles 
east  of  and  over  100  feet  above  the  main 
stream.  The  two  latter  head  on  the  high 
dividing   ridge,  on   the    west  line  of  Waushara 


county,  at   elevations  between  1  50  and  200  feet 
above  their  mouths. 

These  streams  do  not  pass  through  a  timbered 
country,  but   have    very  valuable  water  jiowers. 
Of  those  on  the  west  two  are  large  and  impor- 
tant, the  Yellow   and  Lemon  weir  rivers.     Yel- 
low river  heads  in  township  25  north,  in  the  ad- 
joining corners    of  Wood,    Jackson  and  Clark 
counties,  and  runs  a   general    southei-ly    course 
nearly    parallel    to  the  Wisconsin  for  over  sev- 
enty miles,  the  two  gradually  approaching  one 
another  and   joining    in    township  17  north,  of 
range  4  east.     The  yellow  river  has  itsarchajan 
and  sandstone  sections,  the  former  exceedingly 
rocky  and  much   broken    by  fapids  and    falls, 
the  latter  comparatively   sluggish  and  without 
rock    rapids.     The   upper  portions  of  the  river 
extend  into  the  pine  regions,  and  much  logging 
is  done    in    times  of  high    water.     The   water 
powers    are  of  great  value.     The  Lemonweir  is 
also  a  large  stream.     Heading  in  a  timbered  re- 
gion in  the  southeast  corner  of  Jackson  county, 
it   flows    southward  for  some  distance  througrh 
Monroe,  and,  entering  Juneau  on  the  middle  of 
its  west  side,  crosses  it  in  a  southeasterly  direc- 
tion, reaching    the  Wisconsin  on  section  24,  in 
township   15  north,  of  range  5  east,  having  de- 
scended  in   its    length    of   some  seventy  miles 
about  200  feet. 

The  Wisconsin  enters  the  gorge,  already  spo- 
ken of  as  the  dells,  not  far  above  the  southern 
boundary  line  of  Juneau  and  Adams  counties. 
This  famous  passage  of  about  seven  and  one- 
half  miles  has  been  often  described.  At  its  fork, 
between  the  counties  of  Sauk  and  Columbia,  the 
Wisconsin  enters  upon  the  last  section  of  its 
course  and  also  upon  the  most  remarkable  bend 
in  its  whole  length.  Through  the  dells  its 
general  course  is  southward,  but  it  now  turns 
almost  due  east,  in  which  direction  it  continues 
with  one  or  two  subordinate  turns  southward 
for  about  seventeen  miles  through  low  sand 
banks  as  far  as  Portage.  Here  it  bends  abrupt- 
ly south  again,  and,  reaching  its  most  eastern 
point   not   far  below,  soon  swerves  around  into 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


75 


tlie  final  southwestward  stretch  to  the  Missis- 
sippi. The  cause  of  this  long  detour  to  the 
east  is  sufficiently  evident.  As  the  river  leaves 
the  (lolls  it  finds  lyingdirectly  athwart  its  course 
two  bold  quartzite  ranges,  extending  east 
and  west  througli  Sauk  county  for  upward 
of  twenty  miles,  and  crossing  into  Columbia, 
finally  unite  about  eight  miles  east  of  the  coun- 
ty line  in  a  sharp  and  bold  eastwardly  project- 
ing ]i(iint,  rising  400  feet  above  the  river  bot- 
tom. 

Above  Portage  where  the  Wisconsin  forms 
the  southern  boundary  line  of  the  town  of  Lew- 
iston,  the  ground  immediately  north  is  lower 
than  the  water  in  the  river — the  heads  of  Nee- 
nah  creek,  a  tributary  of  the  Fo.x,  rising  a  short 
distance  from  its  banks.  In  times  of  high  wa- 
ter, the  Wisconsin  overflows  into  these  streams, 
and  thus  contributes  to  a  totally  different  river. 
At  Portage,  the  Fo.';,  after  fiow  ing  south  of  west 
for  twenty  miles,  approaches  the  Wisconsin, 
coming  from  the  opposite  direction.  Where  the 
two  streams  are  nearest,  they  are  less  than  two 
miles  apart,  and  are  separated  by  a  low,  sandy 
plain,  the  water  in  the  Fox  being  five  feet  below 
that  of  the  Wisconsin  at  ordinary  stages.  The 
greater  ])art  of  this  low  ground  is  overflowed  by 
the  latter  stream  in  times  of  high  water,  and  to 
this  is  chiefly  due  the  spring  rise  in  the  Fox 
river. 

After  doubling  the  eastern  end  of  the  quart- 
zite ranges,  as  already  said,  the  Wisconsin  turns 
again  to  the  west,  being  forced  to  this  by  im- 
pinging on  the  north  side  of  a  high  bell  of  lime- 
stone country,  which,  after  trending  southward 
across  the  eastern  part  of  Columbia  county,  veers 
gradually  to  a  westerly  direction,  lying  to  the 
south  of  the  river,  along  the  rest  of  its  course. 
Soon  after  striking  this  limestone  region,  the 
river  valley  assumes  an  altogether  new  character, 
which  it  retains  to  its  mouth,  having  now  a 
nearly  level,  for  the  most  part  treeless  bottom, 
from  three  to  six  miles  in  width,  ten  to  thirty 
feet  in  height,  usually  more  on  one  side  than   on 


the  other,  and  bounded  on  both  sides  by  bold 
and  often  precipitous  blufl^s,  100  to  350  feet  in 
height,  of  sandstone  capped  with  limestone. 
Immediately  along  the  water's  edge  is  usually  a 
narrow  timbered  strip,  rising  two  to  four  feet 
above  the  river,  which  is  overflowed  at  high 
water.  The  line  of  bluffs  along  the  north  side 
of  thii  valley  is  the  northern  edge  of  the  high 
limestone  belt  just  mentioned,  which  reaches  its 
greatest  elevation  ten  to  fifteen  miles  south  of 
this  edge.  In  front  of  the  main  bluff-face,  es- 
pecially in  its  eastern  extension,  are  frequently 
to  be  seen  bold  and  high  isolated  outliers  of  the 
limestone  country.  On  the  north  bank,  the 
bluft's  are  at  first  the  edges  of  similar  large  out- 
lying masses,  but  farther  down  they  become 
more  continuous,  the  river  crossing  over  the 
north  westward  trending  outcrop  line  of  the 
Lower  Magnesian  limestone. 

In  this  last  section  of  its  course,  the  Wiscon- 
sin is  much  obstructed  by  bars  of  shifting  sand, 
derived  originally  from  the  erosion  of  the  great 
sandstone  formation  which  underlies  the  whole 
region,  and  to  whose  existence  the  unusual 
amount  of  obstruction  of  this  kind  in  the  river 
is  due.  The  altitude  of  the  water  surface  of  the 
Wisconsin  at  Lac  Vieux  Desert  above  Lake 
Michigan  is  951  feet;  at  Wausau,  above  dam,  623 
feel;  at  Knowlton  (high),  538  feet— (low),  523 
feet;  at  Stevens  Point,485  feet;  atContantsRap- 
ids,468  feet;  at  Grand  Rapids — railroad  bridge — 
420  feet;  at  Kilbourn  City — railroad  bridge — 233 
feet;  at  Portage,  211  feet;  at  Merrimack,  182  feet; 
at  Sauk  City,  165  feet;  at  Spring  Green  bridge, 
134  feet;  at  Muscoda,  115  feet;  at  the  mouth  of 
the  stream,  34  feet.  The  average  velocity  of  the 
river  below  Portage  is  remarkably  uniform,  and 
is  just  about  two  miles  per  hour.  The  daily 
discharges  of  the  river  at  Portage,  in  times  of 
extreme  low  water,  is  about  259,000,000  cubic 
feet.  The  average  fall  of  the  water  surface  of 
the  river  below  Portage  is  one  and  one-half  feet 
per  mile.  This  rapid  fall,  were  it  not  for  the 
great  amount  of  sand  in  the  river  bed,   would 


■76 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


make  the  stream  a  series  of  pools  and  rock  rap- 
ids. 

II. — THE  KICKAPOO. 

The  Kickapoo  rises  in  Monroe  county,  that  is, 
its  main  or  east  branch;  which  is  frequently 
termed  the  Kickapoo  proper.  It  runs  a  south- 
west course  after  entering  Vernon  county, 
through  the  towns  of  Whitestown,  Stark,  touch- 
ing Webster,  and  then  after  crossing  into  Rich- 
land, in  which  county  it  flows  in  a  south  course, 


returns  to  Vernon,  in  the  town  of  Liberty,  and 
at  a  point  on  section  33,  in  the  town  of  Kicka- 
poo, receives  the  west  branch.  The  river  after- 
ward takes  a  southwesterly  course,  leaving  Ver- 
non county  on  section  16,  in  the  town  last  men- 
tioned. The  river  runs  through  Crawford 
county,  in  a  southerly  direction  and  empties  into 
the  Wisconsin,  on  section  11,  in  the  town  of 
Wauzeka,  just  below  the  village  of  the  same 
name. 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


11 


CHAPTER    II 


TOPOGRAPHY 

A  much  clearer  and  more  correct  Jcnowledge 
can  be  obtained  of  the  topographical  features 
and  geological  formations  of  the  count}',  by  re- 
ferring by  townships  to  its  water  sheds,  streams, 
springs,  prairies,  forests,  soils  and  sub-soils, 
clays  and  underlying  formations,  than  from 
general  remarks  on  its  entire  area. 

By  carefully  studying  the  references  to  each 
congressionally-surveyed  township  in  the 
county,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  whole  region 
lies  within  the  great  driftless  area  of  the  State, 
and  that  its  surface  contour  has  never  been 
modified  by  glacial  action. 

We  notice  here  high  rolling  ridges  of  land, 
intersected  in  all  directions  with  deep  ravines 
and  valleys,  often  bordered  with  precipitous 
cliffs, — the  elevation  of  the  ridges  above  the 
valleys  being  from  300  to  500  feet.  The  valleys 
in  their  length  and  breadth  are  the  effect  of 
erosion  only;  but  it  seems  probable  that  the 
streams  formerly  were  much  larger  and  acted 
with  greater  rapidity  and  force.  When  we 
mentally  reconstruct  the  country,  as  it  must 
once  have  been,  by  filling  up  the  valleys  with 
the  formations  now  found  on  their  sides,  and 
then  add  the  formations  whose  outlines  still 
remain,  wo  can  appreciate  the  immense  denuda- 
tion which  the  counti'y  has  undergone. 

TOrOGEAl'HICAL  FEATURES  AND    GEOLOGICAL  FOR- 
MATIONS OF    THE    VARIOUS  SURVEYED  TOWNSHIPS. 

TowNSHir  S,  range  3  west  (Marietta  in  jiart). 
This  township  is  very  hilly  and  rough  land. 
The  bills  are  high,  steep,  and  covered  with 
heavy  timber  of  maple,  elm,  oak  and  basswood. 
The  soil   is   ii  sandy  clay.     The  formations  are 


AND  GEOLOGY. 

Potsdam,   Lower   Magnesian    and     St.    Peters 
sandstone. 

Township  9,  range  3  west  (Scott).  The 
divide  between  Knapp  creek  and  the  Kickapoo 
passes  irregularly  through  the  townsliip  from 
section  31  to  section  5.  The  ridge  is,  in 
some  places,  quite  wide,  and  contains  some 
good  farming  land.  The  township  is  well 
watered  by  numerous  streams  flowing  from  its 
center  in  all  directions.  The  timber  is  very 
large  and  dense.  The  Potsdam  covers  one- 
third  of  the  township,  including  all  the  valleys, 
and  the  Lower  Magnesian  the  rest,  except- 
ing a  narrow  belt  of  St.  Peters  along  the  divide. 

Township  ]0,  range  3  west  (Clayton  in  part). 
The  divide  mentioned  in  township  9  con- 
tinues through  township  10,  from  sections  32  to 
section  3, with  numerous  lateral  spurs  and  ridges. 
The  township  consists  chiefly  of  high,  roiling, 
ridge  land,  with  numerous  ravines  running 
down  to  the  streams.  The  .soil  is  clay,  and  the 
timber  very  dense  and  large,  with  but  little 
unilerbrush.  The  principal  trees  are  raa])le  and 
elm.  Along  the  crest  of  the  divide,  on  .sections 
3,  9,  16  and  20,  are  some  very  conspicuous 
mounds  formed  by  outliers  of  St.  Peters  sand- 
stone. Sink  holes  are  also  of  frequent  occur- 
rence. Water  is  obtained  with  difficulty  on 
the  ridges.  In  places  wells  are  sunk  from  100 
to  165  feet.  The  formations  are  the  same  as 
in  township  9. 

Township  11,  range  3  west  (part  of  Clayton 
in  Crawford  county,  and  of  Kickapoo  in  Vernon 
county).     The  eastern  and  central  parts  of  this 


78 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


township  consist  of  high,  wide,  rolling  ridges; 
and  the  western  part,  of  steep,  rocky  blujBfs. 
The  township  is  watered  by  the  Kiclcapiio  on 
the  west  and  north.  Fine  springs  are  very 
numerous.  The  valley  of  the  Kickapoo  aver- 
ages about  a  mile  in  width.  The  soil  through- 
out the  township  is  clay  and  the  timber  very 
heavy.  The  Potsdam  covers  about  one-thiid  of 
the  township;  the  Lower  Magnesiaii,  one-half; 
and  the  St.  Peters,  one-sixth.  Many  loose 
bowlders  of  the  St.  Peters  are  found  on  the 
ridges  where  the  formation  cannot  be  found  in 
place.  The  general  section,  in  this  township, 
of  the  formation  is  as  follows: 

Feet. 

St.  Peters  sandstone .50 

Lower  Magnesiati  limestone LiO 

Potsdam  sandstone 300 

From  ridge  to  valley,  total ,500 

Township?,  range  4  west{Wauzeka  in  part). 
The  part  of  this  township  which  lies  north  of 
the  Wisconsin  river  consists  almost  exclusively 
of  the  alluvial  bottoms  of  that  river  and  the 
Kickapoo.  It  is  densely  timbered  with  elm, 
maple,  basswood,  butternut,  etc.,  with  a  deep, 
black,  swampy  soil.  The  hills  which  inclose 
the  rivers  are  found  along  the  north  line  of  the 
township.  The  formations  are  Potsdam  and 
Lower  Magnesian. 

Township  8,  range  4  west  (parts  of  Wauzeka, 
Marietta  and  Eastman).  There  is  a  high  ridge 
running  in  a  northeasterly  course  through  tills 
township,  from  which  the  ground  slopes  to  the 
Kickapoo  and  Wisconsin  rivers.  The  country 
is  very  hilly,  the  ridges  narrow  and  broken  by 
deep  ravines.  The  soil  is  clay,  and  the  timber 
very  large  and  dense.  The  township  is  well 
watered  by  the  Kickapoo  and  its  several 
branches.  There  are  a  great  many  large  springs 
in  the  valley  of  the  Kickapoo.  The  Potsdam 
covers  about  one-sixth  of  the  township;  the 
Lower  Magnesian,  two-thirds;  and  the  St. 
Peters    sandstone    aiid  Trenton  limestone,  one 


sixth.     The  general  section   of   this  township, 
taken  from  the  ridge  of  the  Kickapoo  is: 

Feet 

T.enton  limestdne 30 

St.  Peters  sandstone 100 

Lower  Magnesian  limesto)ie .180 

Piitsdam  sandstone 170 

Total  from  ridge  to  valley 480 

Township  9,  range 4  west  (Haney).  A  large 
part  of  this  township  is  occupied  by  the  valley 
of  the  Kickapoo,  which  is  from  one-half  to  a 
mile  wide.  The  stream  is  about  200  feet  wide, 
very  crooked  and  sluggish.  On  each  side  of 
the  river  the  country  is  very  hilly.  The  valley 
of  the  Kickapoo  and  the  country  to  the  east  of 
it  has  the  heavy  timber — maple,  elm,  etc.;  but, 
west  of  the  valley,  the  hills  are  smooth  and 
bare,  many  of  them  showing  terraces  of  the 
Potsdam,  and  the  timber  is  white  oak  in  grove, 
on  the  tops  of  the  ridges.  The  formations  are 
Potsdam,  one-third;  Lower  Magnesian,  two- 
thirds;  and  some  ridges  and  mounds  of  St. 
Peters  on  the  eastern  side. 

Township  10,  range  4  west,  (east  part  of 
Utica  and  west  part  of  Clayton.)  The  general 
features  of  tlus  township  are  similar  to  those  of 
township  9.  The  valley  of  the  Kickapoo  is 
wider,  more  sandy,  and  less  heavily  timbered. 
Fine  springs  are  very  numerous.  The  forma- 
tions are  Potsdam  and  Lower  Magnesian  in 
about  equal  parts. 

Township  11,  range  4  west,  (part  of  Utica 
in  Crawford  county,  and  of  Franklin  in  Vernon 
county.)  This  township  is  composed  chiefly  of 
high,  rolling  ridge  land,  with  a  clay  soil.  In 
the  central  part  of  the  township  the  soil  is  rather 
sandy,  owing  to  a  long  belt  of  St.  Peters  which 
crosses  the  township  from  section  4  to  section 
34.  The  timber  consists  of  groves  of  large 
white  oaks.  The  formations  are  Potsdam  one- 
sixth;  Lower  Magnesian  two-thirds;  and  St. 
Peter  's  sandstone,  one-sixth. 

Township  7,  range  5  west,  (Wauzeka  in 
part)  This  is  a  very  hilly  township.  It  is  wa- 
tered by  the  Wisconsin  river,  Grand    Gris     and 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


79 


Little  Kickapoo.  The  valleys  and  sides  of  the 
ravines  are  heavily  timbered  with  elm,  maple, 
basswood,  butternut,  etc.  There  are  two  very 
high  and  wide  ridges  in  the  northerti  and  norlh- 
western  parts  of  the  township,  where  the  soil  is 
clay,  rather  shallow,  and  the  limber  smaller  and 
more  scattering.  All  the  formations  from  the 
Potsdam  to  the  Galena  limestone,  inclusive,  are 
represented. 

Township  8,  range  5  west,  (parts  of  Wauze- 
ka  and  Eastman.)  The  high  ridge  which  di- 
vides the  Kickapoo  and  Mississippi  rivers  passes 
through  the  west  side  of  this  township.  From 
it  the  country  slopes  to  the  east  in  wide,  regu- 
lar ridges,  and  deep  narrow  ravines.  The  soU 
throughout  the  township  is  clay.  The  timber  is 
small  and  consists  of  groves  of  small  black  oak. 
Much  of  the  country  is  prairie  and  devoid  of 
timber.  The  geological  formations  are  the 
same  as  in  township  7.  The  general  section  of 
this  township,  from  section  32  on  the  ridge  to 
section  36,  on  the  Kickapoo,  is  as  follows: 

Feet. 

Galena  liraeslone 20 

Blue  limestone 25 

Bluff  lunestoue 20 

St.  Peter's aandslone 100 

Lower  Miignesian  limestone 180 

Postilam  sandstone  100 

From  ridge  to  river,  total 445 

Township  9,  range  5  west,  (Seneca  in  part.) 
The  divide  continues  from  the  last  township, 
from  section  31  to  section  3.  It  is  very  high, 
wide  and  rolling,  with  numerous  subordinate 
ridges.  The  township  is  well  watered  by  numer- 
ous small  streams,  and  springs  are  found  quite 
near  the  summit  of  the  ridge,  issuing  from  the 
numerous  clay  layers  in  the  Trenton  limestone. 
The  soil  isclay,fre(juently  rather  sandy.  The  tim- 
ber is  oak,  small  but  quite  abundant.  All  the  for- 
mations from  the  Galena  limestone  to  the  Pots- 
dam, are  present;  the  St.  Peter's  and  the  Lower 
Magnesian  are  the  prevailing  ones. 

TowNsiiu-  10,  range  5  west,  (parts  of  Utica, 
Freeman  and  Seneca.)     The  divide  continues  a 


nearly  north  and  south  course  from  section  34 
to  section  3.  The  general  features  of  the  coun- 
try are  very  similar  to  those  of  township  9.  Much 
of  the  township  is  prairie .  The  soil  is  a  deep  clay 
and  the  timber  light.  With  the  exception  of 
the  principal  ridge,  the  country  is  very  hilly 
and  the  valleys  very  deep  and  narrow.  The 
formations  are  Potsdam,  Lower  Magnesian  and 
St.  Peter's;  the  last  two  being  the  principal  ones. 

Township  11,  ranges  west,  (parts  of  Utica 
and  Freeman  in  Crawford  county,  and  of 
Franklin  iud  Sterling  in  Vernon  county.) 
This  is  chiefly  a  prairie  country;  the  divide  is 
high,  wide  and  rolling,  extending  from  section 
35  to  section  1.  There  are  no  large  streams  in 
the  township,  but  numerous  small  ravines  run- 
ning east  and  west  from  the  divide.  Small 
springs  are  quite  numerous  and  the  greater  part 
of  the  township  is  available  for  agricultural 
purposes.  The  formations  are  St  Peters  and 
Lower  Magnesian  in  about  equal  parts. 

Township  6,  range  6  west  (part  of  the  town 
of  Bridgeport  and  of  the  city  of  Prairie  du 
Chien.)  That  part  of  this  township  which  lies 
north  of  the  Wisconsin  river  consists  of  the 
rich  alluvial  bottom  lands  of  that  stream,  with 
numerous  sloughs  and  swamps.  The  bluffs 
which  inclose  the  river  on  the  north  commence 
near  the  north  line  of  the  township.  The  town- 
ship is  well  timbered;  soil,  clay.  The  forma- 
tion is  Lower  Magnesian. 

Township  7,  range  G  west,  (jiarts  of  the  towns 
of  Bridgeport  anil  Prairie  du  Chien  and  of  the 
citj'  of  Prairie  du  Chien.)  TIk'  high  ridge 
which  divides  the  Kickapoo  and  the  Mississippi 
begins  in  this  township  and  I'uiis  northeast, 
passing  out  at  section  2.  The  ridge  is  wide, 
level  and  heavily  timbered  with  white,  black 
and  burr  oak.  The  soil  is  clay.  The  township 
is  well  watered  and  springs  are  quite  numerous. 
On  the  west  side  is  the  valley  of  the  Missisippi 
from  one  to  two  miles  wide  between  the  bluffs 
and  the  river.  Its  soil  is  sandy.  All  the 
formations  are  present  from  the  Galena  to  the 
Lower  Magnesian,  inclusive. 


80 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


Township  8,  range  6  west,(part  of  Eastman.) 
The  land  in  this  township  is  very  hilly  and 
rough,  heing  composed  of  long,  straight  ridges, 
which  run  east  and  west  and  become  quite  nar- 
row as  they  approach  the  Mississippi  on  the 
west.  There  are  a  great  many  good  springs 
arising  near  the  ridge  which  in  the  course  of  a 
half  mile  sink  into  the  ground,  so  that  the  large 
ravines  although  deep,  seldom  have  any  water 
in  them.  The  soil  is  clay  and  in  the  western  part 
quite  stony.  The  timber  is  small  and  rather 
sparse.  The  formations  are  Galena  limestone 
to  Potsdam  sandstone,  inclusive.  The  general 
section  of  this  township  from  section  23  to  tlie 
Mi.'-sissippi  river  is  as  follows: 

Feet. 

Galena  limestone 50 

Trenton  limestone  (blue  and  butf ) 40 

St.  Peters  sandstone 110 

Lower  Magnesian  limestone 250 

Potsdam  sandstone 20 

•  From  ridge  to  valley,  total 470 

Township  9,  range  o  west,  (part  of  Seneca) 
The  bend  of  the  Mississippi  river  causes  this  to 
be  a  fractional  township,  containing  only  about 
twelve  square  miles.  It  is  composed  of  steep  and 
rocky  bluffs,  forming  the  ends  of  ridges,  often 
making  perpendicular  cliffs  and  escarpments  of 
rock  for  long  distances  along  the  bank  of  the 
river.  The  township  is  covered  with  small  tim- 
ber. The  ridges  are  very  high,  narrow  and 
steep.  The  formations  are  the  same  as  in  town- 
ship 9,  just  mentioned. 

Township  10,  range  6  west,  (parts  of  Seneca 
and  Freeman).  This  is  also  a  fraction.al  town- 
ship and  contains  about  twenty  square  miles. 
It  is  well  watered  by  the  Mississippi  river  and 
Sugar,  Buck  and  Copper  creeks.  Fine  iarwe 
springs  are  very  numerous.  The  soil  through- 
out the  township  is  clay  and  the  timber  small 
but  abundant.  The  valleys  and  ridges  are  wide. 
The  formations  are  the  Potsdam  and  Lower 
Magnesian  in  about  equal  parts. 

Township  11,  range  6  west,  (part  of  Free- 
man  in  Crawford  county,  and   of   Wheatland 


and  Sterling  in  Vernon-county).  This  township 
consists  chiefly  of  high  rolling,  ridge  land,  hav- 
ing an  elevation  from  400  to  550  feet  above  the 
Mississippi.  The  principal  ridge  is  very  wide 
aiul  runs  east  and  west  through  the  northern 
part  of  the  township,  with  numerous  smaller 
ridges  running  north  and  south.  The  soil  is 
clay,  in  some  parts  rather  sandy.  The  timber 
is  small,  but  abundant.  Water  is  very  scarce 
on  the  ridges.  The  only  stream  is  Rush  creek 
in  the  southern  part  of  the  township;  it  has  a 
rich  and  fertile  valley  about  half  a  mile  in 
width.  The  formations  are  Potsdam,  Lower 
Magnesian  and  St.  Peters;  the  two  latter  pre- 
dominating. 

Township  11,  range  7  west,  (part  of  Free- 
man in  Crawford  county,  and  Wheatland  in 
Vernon  county).  This  is  a  township  made  frac- 
tional by  the  Mississippi  river,  and  contains 
about  sixteen  square  miles.  It  is  very  hilly. 
Tlie  river  runs  close  to  the  bluffs,  which  are  high 
and  precipitous.  The  soil  is  clay  and  the  tim- 
ber white  oak.  The  formations  are  Potsdam, 
Lower  Magnesian  and  St.  Peters,  the  second 
being  the  prevailing  one. 

Fractionai,  townships,  6,  (being  a  part  of 
Bridgeport),  7,  (being  a  portion  of  the  city  and 
town  of  Prairie  du  Chien),  8,  (being  a  part 
of  Eastman)  and  10,  (being  a  portion  of 
Freeman),  range  V  west.  These  fractional 
townships  lie  immediately  upon  the  Mississippi 
river,  tbe  land  being  in  many  places  subject  to 
overflow  in  high  water. 

Fractional  townships  7,  range  .3  west,  (in 
Marietta),  and  fractional  township  6,  range  7 
west,  (in  Wauzeka),  both  lie  immediately  north 
of,  and  are  washed  by  the  Wisconsin  river. 

exposures    of   the   POTSDAM    SANDSTONE. 

There  are  some  fine  exposures  of  the  Potsdam 
sandstone  in  Crawford  county. 

(1.)  There  is  one  on  the  northwest  quarter 
of  section  11,  township  10,  range  4  west,  (Clay- 
ton), where  a  small  creek  enters  the  Kickapoo. 

(2.)  On  the  Kickapoo,  on  the  southwest 
quarter  ef  section  27,  township  9,  range  4  west, 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


81 


.(Haney),  where  the  top  of  the  Potsdam  is 
distinctly  marked  by  a  bed  of  white  sandstone 
fifteen  feet  thick.  Above  it  are  the  transition 
beds,  and  the  lower  beds  of  the  Lower  Magne- 
sian.  Tiie  Potsdam  is  also  exposed  for  fifty  feet 
below  its  junction  with  the  Lower  Magiiesian, 
and  consists  of  heavy-bedded  white  and  yellow 
sandstones.  The  blufiEs,  in  this  vicinity,  present 
this  appearance  for  a  distance  of  about  a  mile. 
The  productions  of  the  Potsdam,  which  are 
of  importance  in  an  economical  point  of  view, 
are  iron,  building  stone  and  mineral  waters. 
Iron,  in  the  form  usually  of  hematite,  is  found 
in  Crawford  county,  but  none  is  mined.  Build- 
ing stone  and  sand,  for  mortar  and  plaster- 
ing, are  obtainable  ;  but  it  is  in  the  mineral 
waters  obtained  by  means  of  artesian  wells  that 
the  Potsdam  is  most  valuable  as  yet  to  the 
county.  An  account  of  these  wells  will  be 
given  hereafter. 

LOWER   MAGXESIAN    LIMESTONE. 

This  formation  is  an  important  one  because 
by  its  decomposilion  it  produces  a  rich  and  fer- 
tile soil  on  the  ridges,  and  being  washed  down 
into  the  valleys,  it  fertilizes  the  otherwise  bar- 
ren sand  derived  from  the  Potsdam. 

In  the  valley  of  the  Mississippi  there  is  no 
formation  which  presents  finer  or  more  I'reipient 
exposures.  Its  hardness,  and  the  frequent 
joints  which  it  contains,  predispose  it  to  form 
the  lofty  cliffs  and  precipices  which  form  such 
an  impressive  feature  in  the  scenery  of  the 
river. 

At  Prairie  du  Chien,  tlie  upper  and  middle 
portions  are  exposed,  but  the  entire  thickness  is 
not  seen  unlil  about  six  miles  above,  when  the 
lower  layers  are  exposed.  Proceeding  u|)  the 
river,  the  formation  constantly  occupies  a  higher 

position  in  the  bluffs. 

f 

This  limestone  is  ahvays  light-colored,  em- 
bracing all  shades  of  yellow  and  gray,  and  is 
sometimes  perfectly  white.  In  texture  it  is 
hard  and  compact,  the  separate  grains  of 
which  it  is  composed  being  seldom  distinguish- 


able. It  usually  presents  an  indistinct  crystalline 
appearance,  but  the  crystals  are  never  large 
enough  to  present  distinct  faces  or  a  clearage. 
Exposed  surfaces  of  this  formation  always 
weather  very  irregularly  by  the  removal  of  the 
lime  through  the  usual  atmospheric  agencies. 
Small  irregular  cavities  and  hollows  are  thus 
formed  in  all  i)arts,  and  in  cliff  exposures  small 
holes  and  caves  are  sometimes  seen,  usually 
penetrating  but  a  short  distance. 

The  Lower  Magiiesian  limestone  always  over- 
lies the  Potsdam  conformably;  that  is,  no  denu- 
dation of  the  latter  appears  to  have  taken  place 
before  the  former  was  deposited.  The  line  of 
demarkation  between  the  two  formation.s  is 
sometimes  very  distinctly  defined  by  beds  of 
limestone  devoid  of  sand  overlying  tiie  white 
sandstone  of  the  Potsdam.  'i'hc  transition 
beds  are,  however,  usu;illy  present,  and  the 
Lower  Magnesian  sometimes  graduates  almost 
insensibly  into  the  Potsdam.  The  stratification 
of  the  Lower  Magnesian  is  very  regular  and 
uiiifoiin  ;  in  some  of  the  exposures,  as  in  the 
clitYs  along  the  .Mississippi  river,  the  same  beds 
can  be  traced  continuously  for  long  distances. 
The  greatest  thickness  which  the  Lower  Magne- 
sian is  found  to  attain  anywhere  north  of  the 
Wisconsin  river  is  250  feet.  The  least  thickness 
yet  observed  is  100  feet.  This  can  be  seen  in  the 
northwest  quarter  of  section  5,  township  9, 
range  5  west,  (Seneca).  Its  average  thickness 
may  be  stated  at  about  IVo  feet.  These  meas- 
ures of  thickness  refer  to  localities  where  the 
I'lirination  is  overlaid  by  the  St.  Peters. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  localites  in  Crawford 
county  where  the  exposures  of  the  Lower  Mag- 
nesian limestone  offer  facilities  for  the  study  of 
the  foriiKition  : 

(1.)  At  DeSoto,  on  the  Mississippi  river, 
where  the  formation  affords  a  fine,  close-grained 
and  durable  building  stone.  It  is  of  a  very 
light  color,  and  often  nearly  white. 

(2.)  Section  6,  township  7,  range  6  west, 
(Prairie  du  Chien),  where  there  are  many  fine 
cliff  exposures  overlaid  with  bluffs  of  St.  Peters. 


82 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


(3.)  Section  18,  township  8,  range  6  west, 
(Eastman),  where,  along  the  Mississippi  river, 
there  are  long,  continuous  cliff  exposures«of  the 
formation,  overlying  the  upper  beds  of  the  Pots- 
dam, and  affording  good  opportunities  to  exam- 
ine the  transition  beds. 

No  very  extensive  or  valuable  deposits  of 
metallic  are  found  in  the  Lower  Magnesian 
formation  in  Crawford  county.  A  few  lo- 
calities of  copper  and  lead  exisit,  which  show 
that  the  formation  is  not  entirely  destitute  of 
metallic  contents.  Copper  has  been  found  on 
the  northeast  quarter  of  the  southwest  quarter, 
and  the  northwest  quarter  of  the  southeast 
quarter  of  section  20,  township  8,  range  5  west, 
(Eastman).  This  is  in  the  valley  of  Plum 
creek,  a  small  tributary  of  the  Kickapoo,  and 
about  two  miles  above  its  junction  with  that 
stream.     Here  the  copper  has  been  mined. 

The  existence  of  copper  ore  here  has  been 
known  for  a  number  of  years,  and  small  quan- 
tities have  been  from  time  to  time  extracted  ; 
but  it  was  not  until  1>^G0  that  any  systematic 
attempt  at  mining  was  begun.  In  1858,  the 
land  was  purchased  by  a  company  of  five  per- 
sons, residents  of  New  York  city,  who  com- 
menced work  in  1860,  and  abandoned  it  in  1861 
on  account  of  the  war.  Since  then  no  work 
has  been  done  in  the  Plum  Creek  Copper  Mine, 
as  it  is  called.  About  two  car  loads  of  ore  were 
shipped.  An  analysis  of  some  of  the  ore  found 
at  the  mine  gives  only  a  little  over  ten  per 
cent,  of  metallic  copper,  which  is  hardly  a  re- 
sult to  justify  additional  expense  in  developing 
this  mine. 

The  Copper  Creek  mine  is  on  the  northeast 
quarter  of  section  34,  township  10,  range  o  west, 
(Utica).  The  mines  of  this  locality  are  situ- 
ate about  three-quarters  of  a  mile  southwest  of 
the  village  of  Mt.  Sterling,  and  on  the  side  of 
a  hill  sloping  toward  one  of  the  branches  of 
Copper  creek.  The  dej)osit  of  copper  ore  was 
discovered,  in  1843,  by  William  T.  Sterling.  It 
was  first  worked  by  him  and  George  Messer- 
smith  they  paying  a  tribute  of  one-sixteenth  to 


the  United  States.  During  this  time,  a  speci-* 
men  weighing  300  pounds  was  sent  to  the 
patent  office.  In  the  work  performed  by  these 
men,  20,000  pounds  of  ore  were  taken  out, 
when  the  best  part  of  the  deposit  appeared  to 
be  exhatisted  and  the  work  was  suspended  for 
two  years.  In  184^  the  ground  was  leased  to  a 
German  company  who  worked  it  abotit  a  year, 
their  work  being  chiefly  drifting  and  prospect- 
ing, after  which  time  they  abandoned  it  as  un- 
profitable. 

The  property  remained  idle  until  1856,  when 
it  was  leased  to  a  New  York  company,  who 
worked  it  from  May  to  September,  producing 
20,000  pounds  of  ore,  at  a  cost  of  about  14,000  ; 
since  then  the  land  has  never  been  worked. 

In  an  analysis  of  the  ore  made  abnut  thirty 
years  ago  less  than  twenty  per  cent,  was  metal- 
lic copper. 

The  existence  of  lead  in  Crawford  county,  in 
the  Lower  Magnesian  formation,  is  confined  to 
the  vicinity  of  the  lower  part  of  the  Kickapoo 
valley.  The  Little  Kickapoo  Lead  Mine  is 
located  on  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  10, 
township  7,  range  5  west.  (Wauzeka),  in  the 
upper  pari  of  the  bluff  on  the  north  siile  of  the 
Little  Kickapoo,  a  small  tributary  of  the  Wiscon- 
sin. Lead  01  e  was  first  discovered  here  in  the 
year  1840,  and  was  worked  at  intervals  until  the 
year  1850.  There  have  been  obtained  from  this 
mine  from  i!5,000  to  50,000  pounds  of  ore.  An 
analysis  shows  over  eighty-two  per  cent,  of  metal- 
lic lead.  Thisisequaltoany  found  in  Wisconsin. 
There  are  evidences  of  other  deposits  in  the  coun- 
try round  about. 

Wherever  the  Lower  Magnesian  is  exposed, 
there  is  always  an  abundance  of  good  building 
stone.  Some  of  the  best  quarries  in  the  county 
are  those  at  Prairie  du  Chien.  This  formation 
also  affords  lime  with  as  much  facility  as  build- 
ing stone  All  parts  of  the  formation  which  are 
free  from  flint  will  produce  lime  on  burning. 
There  are  several  places   in   Crawford   county 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COITNTY. 


83 


where  lime  is  burned  in  kilns  of    tlie  simplest 
form  and  constrnction. 

"^      ST.  PETERS  SANDSTONE. 

Owing  to  the  elevation  attained  by  the  sever- 
al formations,  through  their  gradual  rise  in  a 
northerly  di''ection,  and  to  the  great  and  general 
denudation  to  which  the  country  has  been  sub- 
jected, the  St.  Peters  sandstone  is  only  found 
in  isolated  areas  of  comparatively  small  extent 
and  confined  to  the  highest  parts  of  the  ridges. 
The  area  of  this  formation  begins  in  township  6, 
range  6  west,  (Bridgeport),  and  extends  in  a 
northerly  direction  through  the  county.  On  the 
west  it  approaches  to  the  Mississippi  in  town- 
ship 10,  range  6  west,  (parts  of  Seneca  and  Free- 
man), and  maybe  traced  along  the  bluffs  of  that 
river  and  all  its  tributary  streams,  in  a  belt 
varying  from  a  mile  in  width  on  the  north,  to  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  wide  opposite  Prairie  du  Chien; 
thence,  along  tht-  bluffs  of  the  Wisconsin  and 
its  tributaries  to  the  Kickapoo.  On  the  eastern 
side  of  the  divide,  it  is  seldom  found  more  than 
two  or  three  miles  from  the  principal  ridge,  but 
as  the  country  descends  more  gradually  to  the 
Kickapoo  than,  to  the  Mississippi,  it  covers  rela- 
tively a  much  larger  area  than  on  the  west- 
ern slope;  and  in  township  10,  range  5  west, 
(parts  of  Utica,  Seneca  and  Freeman),  it  is  the 
surface  rock  over  about  one-half  of  the  town- 
ship. 

The  country  just  described  embraces  many 
fine  ex])osures  among  which  may  be  nu-ntioiied 
till-  following: 

1.  The  mounds  near  Mt.  Sterling,  which  are 
chiefly  composed  of  sandstone.  2.  A  ledge 
fifiy  feet  high  near  the  quarter  post  of  sections 
15  and  22,  in  township  s,  range  .5  west,  (East- 
man). 3.  A  mound  on  the  southwest  quarter 
of  section  34,  townshi})  8,  range  5  west,  (East- 
man). 

The  following  exposures  are  situated  on  the 
ridge  between  Knapp  creek  and  the  Kickapoo: 

1.  In  townships,  range  4  west,  (Marietta), 
the  St.  Peters  is  the  surface  rock  in  parts  of  the 
following  sections:   1,  2,  11,   12,   l:i,   14,15,20, 


21,  22,  23,  24,  25,  26,  27,  28,  29,  31,  32,  33  and 
34.  Its  total  area  is  a  little  more  than  seven 
square  miles.  There  is  one  good  exposure 
where  it  forms  a  mound  in  the  southeast  quar- 
ter of  section  2. 

2.  In  township  8,  range  3  west,  (Marietta), 
a  branch  of  the  same  range  is  seen,  extending 
through  sections  6,  7,  16,  17,  18,  19,  20,  21  and 
29,  forming  an  area  of  about  three  square  miles, 
with  one  fine  ledge  exposure  near  the  center  of 
section  7. 

3.  The  same  sandstone  ridge  continues  in  a 
northerly  direction  through  sections  36,  25  and 
24  in  township  9,  of  range  4,(Haney),  and  through 
sections  31,  30,  19,  18,  17,  16,  15,  10,  9,  8,  4,  5 
and  6,  in  township  9,  of  range '3  west,  (Scott), 
and  runs  out  in  sections  3  I  and  32,  of  township 
10,  range  3  west,  (Clayton), comprising  a  surface 
area  of  six  sections.  There  is  also  an  isolated 
area  on  sections  13,  14,  23  and  24  in  township  9, 
range  3  west,  (Scott),  equal  to  one  section. 

4.  In  township  10,  range  3  west,  (Clayton), 
there  are  two  large  isolated  areas:  the  first  is  on 
sections  22,  23,  26,  27,  35  and  36  having  an  ex- 
tent of  two  square  miles;  the  second  is  on  sec- 
tions 3,  4,  9,  16,  17  and  20  having  an  extent  of 
one  and  a  half  square  miles.  On  the  latter  are 
four  prominent  mounds  of  large  size,  which 
afford  fine  opportunities  for  studying  the  forma- 
tion. 

TRENTON,  OR  BDFF  AND  BLUE  LIME.STONE. 

These  two  formations,  which  are  usually  con- 
sidered collectively,  are  occasionally  found  north 
of  the  Wisconsin  river.  They  usually  attain 
their  average  thickness,  which  is  about 
twenty-five  feet  each.  There  are  no  useful  ores 
found  in  this  formation  north  of  the  Wisconsin. 
The  blue  limestone  would  furnish  an  excellent 
material  for  burning  to  lime;  but  it  is  not  used 
for  that  purpose. 

A  very  singular  deposit  is  to  be  seen  at  the 
village  of  Seneca,  in  the  lower  part  of  the  buff 
limestone.  It  forms  a  small  eminence  a  short 
distance  north  of  the  village.  The  dijiosit  con- 
sists of  a  conglomerate,  formed  of  quartz  peb- 


84 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


bles  of  small  size,  and  sand  in  large  rounded 
grains,  firmly  united  with  iron  as  a  cementing 
material.  The  pebbles  are  seldom  more  than 
half  an  inch  in  the  longest  dimension,  consisting 
always  of  white  or  transparent  quartz,  and  al- 
ways smoot'ly  rounded,  evidently  having  been 
rolled  by  the  action  of  water. 

The  extent  of  the  deposit  is  small,  covering 
only  about  an  acre  and  not  exceeding  five  or  six 
feet  in  depth.  Several  pits  have  been  sunk  in 
it,  and  numerous  large  masses  of  the  conglom- 
erate taken  out  in  attempts  to  utilize  it  as  iron 
ore;  but,  on  account  of  the  large  amount  of 
quartz  ore  material,  which  constitutes  nearly 
one-half  of  tlie  entire  bulk,  it  is  useless  as  an 
ore.  This  deposit  derives  its  chief  interest  from 
the  fact  that  it  is  the  only  ore  of  the  kind  found 
anywhere  in  the  formation 

1.  The  Trenton  forms  the  surface  rock  in 
sections  3,  10,  11,  15,  16,  IT,  18,  19,  20,  21,  29, 
30,  31  and  32,  in  township  9,  of  range  5  west, 
(Seneca).  On  section  20,  the  Galena  limestone 
appears,  and  buflp  and  blue  form  a  belt  surround- 
ing it.  This  belt,  commencing  on  section  20, 
runs  southwest  to  the  bluffs  of  the  Mississippi; 
thence  south  along  that  stream  and  all  its  tribu- 
taries; thence  east  and  north  about  the  upper 
parts  of  the  Grand  Gris,  Little  Kickapoo  and 
Plum  creek;  thence  north  to  the  head  of  Otter 
creek  to  the  point  of  departure.  Compared 
with  this  large  tract  all  the  other  areas  are  small. 

2.  The  blue  limestone  is  found  on  sections 
13,  U,  21,  22,  23  and  28  in  township  S,  of 
range  4  west,  (Marietta),  lying  on  the  crest  of 
the  ridge  in  a  long  strip  about  half  a  mile  in 
width,  comprising  an  area  of  about  two  sections. 

■".  There  is  also  a  semi-circular  strip,  on 
sections  1  and  2,  in  the  same  township,  extend- 
ing into  section  6,  of  township  8,  in  range  3  west, 
(Marietta),  and  forming  an  .area  equal  to  one 
square  mile. 

4.  In  township  10,  range  5  west,  (Utica),  the 
two  small  mounds  near  the  village  of  Mt.  Ster- 
ling are  capped  with  buff  limestone. 


5.  In  township  11,  range  5  west,  (Utica),  is 
an  area  of  about  two  square  miles,  surrounding 
the  village  of  Rising  Sun,  lying  on  sections  14, 
15,  (in  Vernon  county),  21,  22,  23,  26,  27,  35,  and 
on  the  divide  between  the  Mississippi  and  Kick- 
apoo rivers. 

GALEXA  LIMESTONE. 

This  sub-division  of  the  Trenton  period  is 
found  in  a  strip  averaging  about  a  mile  in  width, 
occu]>ying  tlie  highest  part  of  the  ridge  between 
the  Kickapoo  and  Mississippi,  extending  from 
section  '^0,  in  township  9,  of  range  5  west  (Sene- 
ca), to  section  28,  township  7,  of  range  6  west, 
(Prairie  du  Chien),  a  distance  of  about  fourteen 
miles.  From  this  ridge,  the  formation  extends 
west,  towards  the  Mississippi,  in  three  small, 
subordinate  ridges;  and  on  the  east,  it  extends 
for  a  short  distance  on  the  ridges  between  the 
Grand  Gris,  Little  Kickapoo,  Plum  and  Pine 
creeks.  This  formation  isusually  hard  and  com- 
pact in  texture,  of  a  yellow  color  and  contains 
numerous  fiints  disseminated  through  it.  It 
is  almost  devoid  of  organic  remains,  and  has 
not  been  found  to  contain  any  ores  or  minerals  ' 
of  value. 

GEOLOGICAL    HISTORY    OF  THE    UNDERLYING    FOR- 
MATIONS   OF    CRAWFORD    COUNTY. 
[By  T.  C.  ChamberliQ,  State  Geologist.] 

I. — Potsdmn  Sandstone. 
After  the  great  Archtean  upheaval,  there  fol- 
lowed a  long  period,  concciiiing  which  very  lit- 
tle is  known — a  lost  interval  in  geological  his- 
tory. It  is  only  certain  that  immense  erosion  of 
the  Archaean  strata  took  place,  and  that  in  time 
the  sea  advanced  upon  the  island,  eroding  its 
strata  and  re-depositing  the  wash  and  wear  be- 
neath its  surface.  The  more  resisting  beds 
withstood  this  advance,  and  formed  reefs  and 
rocky  islands  off  the  ancient  shore,  about  whose 
bases  the  sands  and  sediments  accumulated,  as 
they  did  over  the  bottom  of  the  surrounding 
ocean.  The  breakers,  dashing  .against  the  rocky 
clifl's,  brought  down  masses  of  rock,  which  im- 
bedded themselves  in  the  sands,  or  were  rolled 
and  rounded  on  the  beach,  and  at  length   were 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


85 


buried,  in  either  case,  to  tell  their  own  history, 
when  they  should  be  again  disclosed  by  the 
ceaseless  gnawiiigs  of  the  very  elements  that 
had  buried  them.  In  addition  to  the  accumula- 
tions of  wash  and  wear  that  have  previously 
been  the  main  agents  of  rock  formations,  abund- 
ant life  now  swarms  in  the  ocean,  and  the  sands 
become  the  great  cemetery  of  its  dead.  Though 
the  contribution  of  each  little  being  was  small, 
the  myriad  millions  the  waters  brought  forth, 
yielded  by  their  remains,  a  large  contribution  to 
the  accumulating  sediments.  Among  plants 
there  were  sea-weeds,  and  among  animals,  pro- 
tozoans, radiates,  mollusks  and  articulates,  all 
tlie  sub-kingdoms  e.vcept  the  vertebrates.  Among 
these,  the  most  remarkable,  both  in  nature  and 
number,  were  the  trilobites,  who  have  left  their 
casts  in  countless  multitudes  in  certain  localities. 
Tlie  result  of  the  action  of  these  several  agen- 
cies was  the  formation  of  extensive  beds  of 
sandstone,  with  interstratified  layers  of  lime- 
stone and  shale.  These  surrounded  the  Archfe- 
an  nucleus  on  all  sides,  and  reposed  on  its 
flanks.  On  the  Lake  Superior  margin,  the  sea 
acted  on  the  copper  and  iron-bearing  series, 
wliicli  are  highly  ferruginous,  and  the  result  was 
tile  red  Lake  Superior  sandstone.  On  the  oppo- 
site side  of  the  island,  the  wave-action  was 
mainly  upon  quartzitcs,  porphyries  and  granites 
and  resulted  in  light-colored  sandstones.  The 
former  is  confined  to  the  immediate  vicinity  of 
Like  Superior;  the  latter  occupies  abroad,  irreg- 
ular belt  bordering  on  the  Archfean  area  on  the 
south,  and,  being  widest  in  the  central  part  of 
llie  State,  is  often  likened  to  a  rude  crescent. 
It  will  lie  understood  from  the  foregoing 
description,  I  hat  the  strata  of  this  formation  lies 
in  a  nearly  horizontal  po-ition,  and  repose  un- 
conformably  upon  the  worn  surface  of  the  crys- 
talline rocks.  The  close  of  this  period  was  not 
ui:irked  by  any  great  upheaval;  tliere  was  no 
crumpling  or  metamorphism  of  the  strata,  and 
they  iiave  remained  to  the  present  day  very 
much  the  same  as  they  were  originally  deposited, 
save  a  slight  arching  upward  in  the  central  por- 


tion of  the  State.  The  beds  have  been  some- 
what compacted  by  the  pressure  of  superincum- 
bent strata  and  solidified  by  the  cementing  ac- 
tion of  calcareous  and  ferruginous  waters,  and 
by  their  own  coherence,  but  the  original  char- 
acter of  the  formation,  as  a  great  sand-bed,  has 
not  been  obliterated.  It  still  bears  the  ripple- 
marks,  cross-lamination,  worm-burrows,  and 
similar  markings  that  characterize  a  sandy 
beach.  Its  thickness  is  very  irregular  owing 
to  the  unevenness  of  its  Archrean  bottom,  and 
may  be  said  to  range  from  1,000  feet  downward. 
The  strata  slope  gently  away  from  the  Archaean 
core  of  the  State  and  underlie  all  the  latter  for- 
mations, and  may  be  reached  at  any  point  in 
southern  Wisconsin  by  penetrating  to  a  sufficient 
depth,  which  can  be  calculated  with  an  approx- 
imate correctness.  As  it,  is  a  water-bearing  for- 
mation, and  the  source  of  fine  artesian  wells, 
this  is  a  fact  of  much  importance.  The  inter- 
bedded  layers  of  limestone  and  shale,  by  sup- 
plying impervious  strata,  very  much  enhance  its 
value  as  a  source  of  fountains. 

II. —  Lower  Magnesian  Limestone. 

Daring  the  previous  period,  the  accumulation 
of  sandstone  gave  place  for  a  time  to  the  forma- 
tion of  limestone,  and  afterward  the  deposit  of 
sandstone  was  resumed.  At  its  close,  without 
any  very  remarked  disturbance  of  existing  con- 
ditions, the  formation  of  limestone  was  resumed, 
and  progressed  with  little  interruption  till  a 
thickness  ranging  from  fifty  to  250  feet  was  a'.- 
tained.  This  variation  is  due  mainly  to  irregu- 
larities of  the  upper  surface  of  the  formation, 
which  is  undulating,  and  in  some  localities  may 
ap|)ropriately  be  termed  billowy,  the  surface 
rising  and  falling  100  feet  in  some  cases,  within 
a  short  distance.  This,  and  the  preceding  sim- 
ilar deposit,  have  been  spoken  of  as  linie.'^tone 
simply,  but  they  are  really  Dolomites,  or  Mag- 
nesian limestones,  since  they  contain  a  large 
proportion  of  carbonate  of  magnesia.  This  rock 
also  contains  a  notable  tjuantiiy  of  silicia,  which 


8d 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


occurs  disseminated  through  the  mass  of  rock; 
or,  variously,  as  nodules  or  masses  of  chert;  as 
crystals  of  quartz,  tilling  or  lining  drusy  cavi- 
ties, forming  beautiful  miniature  grottoes;  as 
the  nucleus  of  oolitic  concretions,  or  as  sand. 
Some  argillaceous  matter  also  enters  into  its 
composition,  and  small  quantities  of  the  ores  of 
iron,  lead  and  copper,  are  sometimes  found,  but 
they  give  little  promise  of  value.  The  evidences 
of  life  are  very  scanty.  Some  sea-weeds,  a  few 
mollusks,  and  an  occasional  indication  of  other 
forms  of  life,  embrace  the  known  list,  except  at 
a  few  favored  localities  where  a  somewhat  am- 
pler fauna  is  found.  But  it  is  not,  therefore, 
safe  to  assume  the  absence  of  life  in  the  depos- 
iting seas,  for  it  is  certain  that  most  limestone 
has  originated  from  the  remains  of  animals  and 
plants  that  secrete  calcareous  material,  and  it  is 
most  consistent  to  believe  that  such  was  the 
case  in  the  present  instance,  and  that  the  dis- 
tinct traces  of  life  were  mostly  obliterated. 
This  formation  occupies  an  irregular  belt  skirt- 
ing the  Potsdam  area.  It  was,  doubtless,  orig- 
inally a  somewhat  uniform  band  swinging 
around  the  nucleus  of  the  state  already  formed, 
but  it  has  since  been  eroded  by  streams  to  its 
present  jagged  outline. 

III. — St.  Peter''s  Sandstone. 
At  the  close  of  this  sandstone-making  period 
there  appears  to  have  been  an  interval  of  which 
we  have  no  record,  and  the  next  chapter  of  the 
history  introduces  us  to  another  era  of  sand  ac- 
cumulation. The  work  began  by  the  leveling 
up  of  the  inequalities  of  the  surface  of  the  Lower 
Magnesian  limestone,  and  it  ceased  before  that 
was  entirely  accomplished  in  all  parts  of  the 
State,  for  a  few  prominences  were  left  project- 
ing through  the  sand  deposits.  The  material 
laid  down  consisted  of  a  silicious  sand,  of  uni- 
form, well-rounded — doubtless  well-rolled — 
grains.  This  was  evidently  deposited  horizon- 
tally upon  the  uneven  limestone  surface,  and  so 
rests  in  a  sense  unconformably  upon  it.  Where 
the  sandstone  abuts  against  the  sides  of  the 
limestone  prominences,  it  is  mingled  with  ma- 


terial derived  by  wave  action  from  them,  which 
tells  the  story  of  its  formation.  But  aside  from 
these  and  other  exceptional  impurities,  the  for- 
mation is  a  very  pure  sandstone,  and  is  used  for 
glass  manufacture.  At  most  points  the  sand- 
stone has  never  become  firmly  cemented  and 
readily  crumbles,  so  that  it  is  used  for  mortar 
the  simple  handling  with  pick  and  shovel  being 
sufficient  to  reduce  it  to  a  sand.  Owing  to  the 
unevenness  of  its  bottom,  it  varies  greatly  in 
thickness,  the  greatest  yet  observed  being  212 
feet,  but  the  average  is  less  than  100  feet.  Un- 
til recently,  no  organic  reinains  had  ever  been 
found  in  it,  and  the  traces  now  collected  are 
very  meagre  indeed,  but  they  are  sufficient  to 
show  the  existence  of  marine  life,  and  demon- 
strate that  it  is  an  oceanic  deposit.  The  rarity 
of  fossils  is  to  be  attributed  to  the  porous  nature 
of  the  rock,  which  is  unfavorable  to  their  pres- 
ervation. This  porosity,  however,  subserves  a 
very  useful  purpose,  as  it  renders  this  pre-em- 
inently a  water-bearing  horizon,  and  supplies 
some  of  the  finest  artesian  fountains  in  the 
State,  and  is  competent  to  furnish  many  more. 
It  occupies  but  a  narrow  area  at  the  surface, 
fringing  that  of  the  Lower  Magnesian  limestone 
on  the  south. 

IV. — Trenton  Limestone. 
A  slight  change  in  the  oceanic  conditions 
eavised  a  return  to  limestone  formation,  accom- 
panied with  the  deposit  of  considerable  clayey 
material,  which  formed  shale.  The  origin  of 
the  limestone  is  made  evident  by  a  close  exam- 
ination of  it,  which  shows  it  to  be  full  of  frag- 
ments of  shells,  corals,  and  other  organic  re- 
mains, or  the  impressions  they  have  left.  Count- 
less numbers  of  the  lower  forms  of  life  flourished 
in  the  seas,  and  left  their  remains  to  be  com- 
minuted and  consolidated  into  limestone.  A 
part  of  the  time  the  accumulation  of  clayey 
matter  predominated,  and  so  layers  of  shale  al- 
ternate with  the  limestone  beds,  and  shaly 
leaves  and  partings  occur  in  the  limestone  lay- 
ers. Unlike  the  calcareous  strata  above  and 
below,   a  portion  of  these  are  true    limestone 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


SI 


containing  but  a  very  small  proportion  of  mag- 
nesia. A  sufficient  amount  of  carbonaceous  mat- 
ter is  present  in  some  layers  to  cause  them  to 
burn  readily.  This  formation  is  quite  highly 
metalliferous  in  certain  portions  of  the  lead 
region,  containing  zinc  especially,  and  consider- 
able lead,  with  less  quantities  of  other  metals. 


The  formation  abounds  in  fossils,  many  of  them 
well  preserved,  and,  from  their  great  antiquity, 
thiy  possess  uncommon  interest.  All  the  ani- 
m:il  sub-kingd(ims,  except  vertebrates,  are  rep- 
I  eseiited.  The  surface  area  of  this  rock  borders 
the  St.  Peter's  sandstone.  Its  thickness  reaches 
120  feet. 


88 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER    III 


ANCIENT    INHABITANTS. 


The  first  people  of  Crawford  county,  who 
were  they?  The  question,  of  course,  can  never 
can  be  answered.  We  know  that,  scattered 
over  it  in  various  directions,  there  once  lived  a 
race,  concerning  which  all  that  has  come  down 
to  us  is  exceedingly  shadowy.  These  people 
are  denominated  the 

MOUND    BUILDERS. 

Vestiges  of  the  labor  of  the  so-called  mound 
builders  still  exist  in  Crawford  county,  in  the 
form  of  earthworks  consisting  of  mounds;  some 
•udely  representing  animals;  others  seemingly 
like  low  battlements;  while  a  third  variety  are 
simply  elevations,  usually  conical  in  shape. 

ANCIEXT    MOUNDS.* 

On  the  questions  of  the  origin  and  design  of 
these  monuments  of  antiquity,  I  have  but  little 
at  present  to  say.  On  these  questions  much  has 
been  said  and  written,  but  from  it  all  the  world 
has  become  but  little  the  wiser  eh-  better.  Their 
existence,  together  with  the  evidence  we  have 
of  design,  taste  or  ambition  to  perpetuate  the 
memory  of  some  noted  event  or  honored  indi- 
vidual, give  ample  evidence  of  intelligence  far 
in  advance  of  the  Aboriginees  found  here  by 
the  Anglo-Saxon  race,  who  at  present  occupy 
the  country. 

The  trees  frequently  found  growing  upon 
them  of  400  years'  growth  declare  their 
antiquity  and  tiie  recent  discoveries  in  the  cop- 
per region  of  Lake  Superior  of  mines  over  which 
trees  of  the  same    age    are    growing,  makes  it 


*  "Ancient  Mounds:  or,  Tumuli  in  Crawford  County," 
Kead  before  the  Wisconsin  Historical  Society,  at  its  annual 
meeting,  January,  1860,  by  Alfred  Brun?on,  of  Prairie  du 
Cbieu. 


probable  that  the  same  race  who  wrought  those 
mines  also  built  these  mounds. 

Who  these  ancient  people  were,  whence  they 
came  and  what  became  of  them,  have  been  ques- 
tions of  deep  and  abiding  interest  for  the  last 
fifty  years,  or  since  the  whites  have  been  set- 
tling the  great  valley  in  which  their  works 
abound;  and  various  methods  have  been  re- 
sorted to  to  derive  some  plausible  answer  to 
eich  question,  but  all  to  no  purpose.  Indeed, 
he  who  can  answer  one  can  answer  the  others. 
But  nothing  has,  aft  yet,  come  to  light  satisfac- 
tory to  the  public  mind  on  this  engrossing  sub- 
ject. 

The  Book  of  Mormon,  which  has  caused  two 

civil  wars,  cost  many  lives  and  is  now  founding 
a  new  State,  if  not  a  new  empire,  among  the 
mountains  of  California,  is  the  first,  the  last 
and  the  only  book  ever  published  purporting  to 
he  a  history  of  the  people  who  in  habited  this 
country  at  the  time  when  the  tumuli  and  fortifica- 
tions  were  erected.*  But  as  no  one  except  the 
followers  of  the  prophet  give  any  credence 
whatever  to  the  story,  the  world  is  not  the  wliit 
the  wiser  for  the  information  it  contains,  and 
we  remain  in  the  dark,  and  probably  shall  till 
the  end  of  time,  as  to  who  were  the  people  who 
did  this  work,  where  they  came  from,  what  be- 
came of  them,  or  what  was  their  design  in 
erecting  these  mounds. 

»  The  late  Prof.  C.  S.  Raflnesque  wrote  the  Ancient  An- 
nals of  Kentucky,  prefixed  to  Marshall's  History  of  Ken- 
tucky,  published  in  1834.  These  Ancient  Annals  profess  to 
trace  the  Alioriftinal  history  of  Kentucky  from  the  creation 
throiiBh  si.v  periods,  down  to  a  eompariiiivcly  modi'tri  date, 
giyinK  quite  minute  details  of  Noah's  and  PcIck's  llo(lll^,  and 
many  ci>n(iiiests  and  re-conquests  of  the  i ntry  by  the  op- 
posing Indian  tribes.  It  is  a  grotesque  i.roilnction,  and  de- 
serves to  be.  ranked,  in  point  of  historical  authority,  with  the 
veritable  Book  of  Mormon, 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


80 


Tlie  fact  t]iat  human  bones  have  been  found 
in  some  of  them  is  no  evidence  that  they  were 
erected  as  tombs  for  the  honored  dead;  because 
the  Aborigines  found  here  by  the  whites,  have 
long  been  in  the  habit  of  buryiTig  their  dead  in 
them;  and  s  many  of  these  tumuli  have  been 
opened  without  finding  either  bones  or  anything 
else  in  them  but  soil,  the  presumption  is  very 
strong  that  the  bones  sometimes  found  in  them 
are  from  the  interments  of  the  Indians  who 
more  recently  occupied  the  country. 

For  aught  that  I  know,  or  any  one  else 
knows,  they  may  have  been  built  for  tombs;  but 
I  say  the  finding  of  bones  in  them  at  this  time 
is  no  evidence  of  such  a  design;  and  one  very 
strong,  and  to  me  unanswerable  argument  in 
favor  of  this  position,  is,  what  must  be  known 
by  every  one,  that  human  bones  could  not  have 
continued  in  them  undecayed  for  the  space  of 
400  years,  the  acknowledged  age  of  these 
tumuli.  In  some  instances,  and  in  positions,  or 
under  circumstances  peculiarly  calculated  to 
preserve  them,  as  by  embalming,  or  being  in 
dry  nitrous  caves,  bones  have  been  preserved 
for  a  longer  period;  but  no  case  can  be  found 
on  record  where  such  preservation  has  been  had 
with  bones  exposed  to  the  dampness  of  the  soil, 
or  mixed  with  the  earth,  as  those  found  in 
these  tumuli  are. 

In  some  few  instances  slabs  of  stone  were 
placed  around  the  bones;  but  the  rude  masonry 
found  in  such  cases  would  be  no  protection  from 
dampness,  while  surrounded  with  a  damp  soil; 
and  it  must  be  admitted  that  thin  rude  masonry 
corresponds  much  better  with  the  rude  state  of 
the  modern  Aborigines,  than  with  the  more 
improved  state  of  the  buililers  of  these  ancient 
mounds;  and  if  we  suppose,  which  is  very 
probable,  that  the  same  race  which  Imilt  the  an- 
cient works  at  Aztalan,  also  erected  these 
mounds,  we  must  suppose  that  their  masonry 
would  have  been  greatly  in  advance  of  an>  thing 
yet  discovered  of  the  kind;  and  further,  the  de- 
cay of  the  work  at  Aztalan,  shows  conclusively 
that  their  antiquity  is   such   that  human    bones 


would  have  long  since  mouldered  back  to  their 
mother  dust;  for,  if  burnt  bricks  have  so  de- 
cayed as  to  render  them  scarcely  distinguisha- 
ble from  the  earth  with  which  they  are  inter- 
mixed, most  certainly  bones  would  have  long 
since  entirely  disa})peared;  and  this  fact,  to- 
gether with  the  known  fact,  that  the  recent  In- 
dian inhabitants  of  the  country  were  in  the 
habit  of  interring  their  dead  in  these  mounds, 
and  in  the  mode  and  manner  in  which  bones 
have  been  found,  shows  conclusively  to  my 
mind,  tliat  the  bones  thus  discovered  are  of 
more  recent  burial  than  that  of  the  builders 
of  these  tumuli. 

And  further,  and  in  confirmation  of  this  con- 
clusion, the  fact  that  metallic  substances  have 
been  found  in  these  tumuli,  which  could  not 
have  been  known  to  the  natives  previous  to  the 
discovery  of  the  country  by  the  whites,  shows 
that  the  skeletons  found  with  such  substances 
must  have  been  interred  since  the  whites  came 
to  the  country,  which  does  not  agree  well  with 
the  antiquity  of  trees  400  years  old,  so  fre- 
quently found  on  these  mounds. 

The  mounds  found  in  the  county  of  Craw- 
ford, are  of  various  forms  and  sizes.  On 
Prairie  du  Chien,  on(!  of  the  largest  and  high- 
est of  these  tumuli,  having  a  base  of  some  200 
feet  and  about  twenty  feet  high,  of  a  circular 
form,  was  leveled  for  the  present  site  of  Fort 
Crawford.  Another,  of  about  the  same  dimen- 
sions and  form,  stood  within  the  old  or  first 
fort  built  at  this  place  by  the  Americans,  on 
which  now  stands  the  splendid  mansion  of  II. 
L.  Dousman,  Esq.  A  cellar,  well,  and  ice- 
house vault,  were  dug  in  this  last,  and  a  well 
dug  where  t^ie  first  stood, but  in  neither  were  any 
evidences  found  of  the  design  of  their  erection; 
nothing  was  found  but  bones,  rifles,  etc.,  of  re- 
cent interment. 

The  circular  form  is  the  most  common  for 
these  tumuli,  but  many  are  of  different  forms. 
Some  are  from  one  to  two  hundred  yards  long, 
from  ten  to  twenty  feet  wide,  and  from  two  to 
three   feet   high.      These  frequently    have  an 


90 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


open  space  througb  them,  as  if  intended  for  a 
gate,  and  they  would  have  the  appearance  of 
breast  works  if  they  had  angles,  or  a  rear  pro- 
tection, as  of  a  fort. 

Others,  especially  on  the  dividing  ridge  be- 
tween the  Mississippi  and  Wisconsin  rivers,  in 
towns  8  and  9  north,  of  range  5  west,  are  in  the 
form  of  birds  with  their  wings  and  tails  spread 
and  of  deer,  rabbits  and  other  animals,  and  one 
which  I  have  seen  resembles  an  elephant.  The 
birds  lie  spread  out  on  the  ground,while  the  other 
animals  lie  on  their  sides,  with  limbs  stretched 
as  if  on  the  jump.  In  this  region,  also,  some 
few  mounds  resemble  a  man  lying  on  his  face. 
These  mounds  are  from  three  to  four  feet  high, 
at  the  highest  points,  tapering  off  to  the  ex- 
tremities, corresponding  with  what  they  were 
intended  to  represent. 

On  the  margins  of  these  two  rivers,  on  the 
beach  lands  and  the  highest  peaks  of  the  bluffs, 
these  tumuli  are  very  numerous,and  can  often  be 
seen  from  the  boats  passing  on  the  river.  In- 
deed there  is  no  point  yet  discovered  of  any 
great  extent,  in  the  country,  which  is  not  hon- 
ored, to  a  greater  or  less  extent,  with  these 
marks  of  ancient  settlement,  corresponding 
with  the  descriptions  above  given,  and  varying 
inform  and  size;  some  being  not  over  ten 
feet  on  the  base  and  two  feet  high,  circular  in 
form,  while  others,  as  above  stated,  have  a 
base  of  '200  feet,  and  twenty  feet  elevation, 
and  others  are  in  forms  of  animals  which 
generally  are  100  feet  long.  And  it  is 
believed  that  at  least  1,000  of  them  can  be 
found  in  the  county,  which  is,  however,  geo- 
graphically large.  But  in  no  case  that  has 
come  to  my  knowledge,  in  thirteen  years  resi- 
dence, have  bones,  or  other  matter  than  earth, 
been  found  in  them,  except  with  evidence  of 
recent  Indian  interment. 

One  rather  singular  circumstance  is  observable 
in  the  construction  of  some  of  the  mounds  on 
Prairie  du  Chien,  and  especially  those  near 
the  fine  dwelling  of  B.  W.  Brisbois,  Esq. 
They  stand  on  the  margin   of  the    Mississippi, 


on  the  extreme  west  of  the  prairie,  and  about 
one  and  a  half  miles  from  the  bluffs.  The  soil 
on  the  prairie  is  river  sand  intermixed  with 
vegetable  mould.  But  these  tumuli  are  of  a 
different  soil,  a  loam,  the  like  of  which  has  not 
yet  been  discovered  within  several  miles  of  its 
present  location;  so  that,  to  appearance,  the 
earth  of  which  these  mounds  are  I'omposed 
must  have  been  brought  from  a  considerable 
distance. 

It  is  also  a  singular  feature  of  all  the  mounds 
and  fortifications  I  have  examined  in  the  west — 
and  they  are  quite  numerous — that  there  is  no 
appearance  that  the  earth  of  which  they  are 
composed  was  dug  up  from  the  side  of  them 
or  even  near  by  them.  The  surface  of  the  sur- 
rounding soil  generally  comes  up  to  the  base  of 
the  mound  on  a  smooth  level.  In  some  in- 
stances the  mound  stands  on  a  natural  ele- 
vation, showing  that  the  entire  mass  of  which 
it  is  composed  was  carried  from  below,  up  to 
the  place  of  deposit. 

One  such  mound,  which  stands  in  a  group  of 
them,  on  the  southwest  angle  of  Prairie  du 
Chien,  has  a  base  of  some  fifty  feet,  and  is 
about  ten  feet  high;  but  being  on  a  natural 
elevation,  it  has  the  appearance,  a  short  dis- 
tance from  it,  of  being  twenty  feet  high;  yet 
there  is  no  evidence  that  the  earth  of  which 
this  mound  is  composed,  though  of  the  common 
soil  of  the  prairie,  was  taken  from  the  neigh- 
borhood of  its  present  location.  From  the  top 
of  this  mound  can  be  seen  to  advantage  the  ex- 
tensive low  bottom  lands  and  lakes  which  lie 
between  the  Wisconsin  and  Mississippi  rivers, 
and  were  it  not  for  the  timber  on  the  margin 
of  the  two  rivers,  their  flowing  currents  could 
also  be  seen  for  some  distance.  This  circum- 
stance induces  the  belief  that  it  was  built  for  a 
kind  of  watch-tower  or  looking-out  place,  to 
watch  the  approach  of  enemies.  But  the  hand 
of  civilization,  the  plow,  the  hoe,  and  the 
spade,  are  fast  demolishing  these  monuments 
of  antiquity.  When  they  fall  within  an  enclos- 
ure, and  the  plow  breaks  the  sod,  the    action   of 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


91 


the  water  in  time  of  rain,  and  of  the  wind  in 
time  of  draught,  together  with  continued  culti- 
vation, contribute  to  level  them  rapidly  with 
the  surrounding  earth;  and  but  a  few  years 
will  elapse  before  they  will  be  lost  in  the  ob- 
livion of  their  builders,  and  will  be  forgotten, 
except  as  their  memory  will  be  preserved  by 
the  hand  of  intelligence  on  the  page  of  the 
historian. 

In  reflecting  upon  the  destinj'  of  this  people 
— a  people  once  so  numerous  and  intelligent  as 
those  must  have  been,  who  laid  up  with  skill 
and  care,  these  evidences  of  their  existence, 
taste  and  mental  improvement — we  can  hardly 
avoid  feelings  of  melancholy.  It  amounts  to 
annihilation,  so  far  as  this  world  is  concerned. 
We  have  no  trace  as  to  a  ho  they  were,  w'here 
from,  or  where  they  are  gone;  we  only  know- 
that  thev  lived  and  are  dead. 

If  tliey  reflected  as  we  do  on  tiie  future  and 
contemplated  that  in  a  few  centuries  nothing 
but  these  mounds  would  be  left  of  their  whole 
race,  that  not  a  man,  not  a  name,  not  a  song, 
nor  even  a  tradition  of  them  would  be  left  on 
earth,  their  feelings  mii-^t  have  been  gloomy  in 
the  extreme.  The  idea  of  annihilation  issaid  to 
be  even  more  painful  than  thoughts  of  a  misera- 
ble existence.  IJut  vk  turn  from  such  melancholy 
reflections  with  hopes  blooming  with  immor- 
tality. The  nKMital  and  moral  culture  which 
we  enjoy  with  the  blessings  of  the  j)en  and  the 
press,  inspire  in  ;is  the  pleasing  reflection  that 
though  .lur  individual  names  may  not  be  noted 
centuries  to  come,  yet  our  race  will  be  known 
on  the  page  of  history,  and  our  institutions  and 
the  monuments  we  leave  behind  of  our  intelli- 
gence and  wisdom,  which  we  trust  will  continue 
to  improve  our  race  as  they  descend  the  stream 
of  time,  will  bless  the  world,  and  we  shall  not 
have  lived  in  vain.  One  object,  and  tiie  great 
object  of  this  asssociation  is  to  preserve  from 
oblivion  those  scraps  of  history  which  are  fast 
passing  into  forgetfulness,  and  by  embodying 
them  into  a  history,  transmit  to  posterity  not 
only   our  name,  as  a  people,  but  also  such   facts. 


snatched  from  the  destructive  hand  of  time,  as 
will  cast  some  light,  the  best  we  have,  on  the 
past  history  of  the  State;  and  though  we  have 
not  omniscience  and  cannot  solve  the  historic 
problems  of  the  past  to  our  entire  satisfaction, 
yet  we  can  do  much  for  the  infoimation  of 
ourselves  and  of  our  fellow-men,  and  thus  dis- 
charge a  debt  we  owe  to  others  for  the  benefits 
we  have  derived  from  histories  of  other 
countries  and  other  times. 

ANCIENT    EARTHWORKS     IN    THE     BASIN     OF     THE 

VFISCONSIN. 

[From  Lapbam's  "Antiquities  of  Wisconsin."] 

The  Wisconsin  river  is  the  largest  stream 
within  the  State,  having  its  source  on  the 
boundary  line  between  Wisconsin  and 
Michigan,  in  a  small  sheet  of  water  known  as 
"Lac  Vieux  Desert,"  and  running  into  the 
Mississippi  at  Prairie  du  Chien.  Its  general 
course  is  nearly  south  as  far  as  the  Winnebago 
portage,  where  it  almost  unites  with  the  Nee- 
nah.  At  this  point  it  is  suddenly  deflected  to- 
wards the  southwest  and  west.  Its  length 
cannot  be  less  than  400  miles,  and  it  has  an 
aggregate  descent  of  about  900  feet,  or  two  and 
a  quarter  feet  per  mile.  It  drains  an  area  of 
about  1,100  square  miles.  The  valley  of  this 
fine  stream,  from  Winnebago  portage  to  its 
juiu^tion  with  the  Mississippi, may  be  deemed  the 
great  central  seat  of  ]io])ulation  at  the  time  of 
the  erection  of  the  animal-sluiped  earthworks; 
at  least  we  must  so  infer  from  their  comparative 
abundance  and  im|)orlance  along  that  valley. 

The  first  published  notice  of  the  mounds  in 
the  valley  of  the  Wisconsin,  is  in  the  narrative 
of  Long's  Second  Expedition,  in  1823.  It  is 
here  stated  that  "one  of  the  block-houses  of 
the  fort  (at  Prairie  du  Chien)  is  situated  on  a 
large  mound,  which  ai)pears  to  be  artificial.  It 
w:is  excavated;  but  we  have  not  heard  that  any 
bones  or  other  remains  were  found  in  it." 

Mr.  Alfred  IJrunson,  in  a    paper  on  the  "An- 
cient Mounds  of  Crawford  county,  Wisconsin,"  . 
read  before   the  State    Historical   Society,    re- 
marks that  another    similar  one   formerly    ex- 


92 


HISTOKY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


isted  on  the  prairie,  now  removed;  but  no  evi- 
dences of  the  design  of  their  erection  were 
found — nothing  was  observed  but  bones, 
rifles,  etc.,  of  recent  interment. 

"One  mound,  standing  in  a  group  at  the 
southwest  angle  of  this  prairie,  has  a  base  of 
some  fifty  feet,  and  is  about  ten  feet  high,  on 
an  eminence  of  about  the  same  elevation 
From  lis  top  can  be  seen  to  advantage  the  ex- 
tensive low  bottom  lands  which  lie  between  the 
Wisconsin  and  Mississippi  rivers;  and  were  it 
not  for  the  timber  on  the  margin  of  the  two 
rivers,  their  flowing  currents  could  also  be 
seen  for  some  distance.  Tliis  circumstance 
induces  the  belief  that  it  was  built  for  a  kind 
of  watch-tower,  or  look-out  place,  to  watch  the 
approach  of  enemies." 

Trace  of  mounds  were  discovered  by  me  (in 
1852)  along  the  whole  e.Ytent  of  the  prairie, 
apparently  similar  to  others  found  in  the  vi- 
cinity; but  fr^m  cultivation,  and  the  light 
sandy  nature  of  the  materials,  they  are  now 
almost  entirely  obliterated.  Tlie  large  round 
tumuli,  situated  along  the  island  between  the 
"slough"  and  the  main  channel  of  the  Missis- 
sippi,are  so  near  the  level  of  the  river  that  their 
bases  are  often  washed  by  the  floods.  In  1S26, 
at  the  highest  known  floods,  (it  being  eight 
feet  higher  than  the  high  water  of  1832,  and 
about  twenty-six  feet  above  the  lowest  stage,) 
the  mounds  were  all  that  could  be  seen  of  this 
island  above  the  water.  These  were  doubtless 
for  burial,  and  of  less  age  than  the  more  elab- 
orate works  in  the  interior  of  the  country. 

Below  the  town  and  fort,  towards  the  month 
of  the  Wisconsin,  are  similar  tumuli,  equally 
subject  to  overflow  ;  and  on  the  high  bluffs 
south  of  that  river  are  some  look-out  stations  or 
mounds. 

Advantage  is  taken  of  these  elevations  for  the 
foundations  of  the  better  class  of  dwelling 
houses,  above  the  reach  of  high  water  ;  being, 
.  perhaps,  the  only  instance  in  which  the  ancient 
works  are  rendered  useful  to  the  present  inhab- 
itants.    In   general    it   is  deemed   necessary  to 


remove  them,  as  incumbrances,  rather  than  to 
preserve  them  as  matters  of  convenience. 

Some  traces  of  a  ditch  and  embankments  ob- 
served on  the  island,  evidently  of  a  military 
character,  proved,  on  inquiry,  to  be  the  remains 
of  the  original  American  fort  that  was  taken 
by  the  British  in  the  War  of  1812. 

It  is  quite  clear  that  this  interesting  place 
has  been  a  favorite  one  with  all  the  different 
tribes  or  races  of  inhabitants,  from  the  days  of 
the  first  mound  builders  to  the  present  time  ; 
and  the  construction  of  a  railroad  (soon  to  be 
completed)  connecting  this  point  with  Lake 
Michigan,  at  Milwaukee,  will  doubtless  render 
it  one  of  the  greatest  importance. 

Proceeding  up  the  Wisconsin,  the  first  local- 
ity requiring  notice  is  called  by  the  French  the 
Petit  Caj)  (ui  Gres ;  wliich  was  visited  by 
Messrs.  Keating,  Say  and  Seymour,  of  Long's 
exploring  party,  and  of  which  the  following 
account  is  given  :  "They  found  the  bluff  which 
borders  on  the  Wisconsin,  about  four  miles 
above  its  mouth,  covered  with  mounds,  para- 
pets, etc.  ;  but  no  plan  or  system  could  be  ob- 
served among  them,  neither  could  they  trace 
any  such  thing  as  a  regular  inclosure.  Among 
tliese  works  they  saw  an  embankment  about 
eighty-five  yards  long,  divided  towards  its  mid- 
dle by  a  sort  of  gateway  about  four  yards  wide. 
This  parapet  was  elevated  from  three  to  four 
feet ;  it  stood  very  near  to  the  edge  of  the 
bluff,  as  did  also  almost  all  the  other  embank- 
ments which  they  saw.  No  connection  what- 
ever was  observed  between  the  parapets  and 
the  mounds,  except  in  one  case,  where  a  parapet 
was  cut  off  by  a  sort  of  gateway  and  a  mound 
placed  in  front  of  it.  In  one  instance  the 
works,  or  parapet,  seemed  to  form  a  cross,  of 
which  three  parts  could  be  distinctly  traced  ; 
but  these  were  short ;  this  was  upon  a  project- 
ing point  of  the  highland.  The  mounds  which 
the  party  observed  were  (Scattered  without  any 
apparent  symmetry  over  the  whole  of  the  ridge 
of  highland  which  borders  upon  the  river. 
They  were    very  numerous,  and  generally  from 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


93 


six  to  eight  feet  high,  and  from  eight  to  twelve 
in  diameter.  In  one  case  a  number  of  them, 
amounting  perhaps  to  twelve  or  fifteen,  were 
seen  all  arranged  in  one  line,  t  arallel  to  the 
edge    of  the  bluff,  but  at  some  distance  from  it. 

Mr.  Brunson,  in  a  paper  read  before  the  Min- 
isterial Association  of  the  Methodist  Church, 
held  at  Viroqua,  Sept.  7,  1858,  says  : 

"History  is  among  the  most  pleasing  and  en- 
tertaining of  human  studies.  By  itwe  converse 
and  become  familiar  wiih  men  and  things  of 
ages  long  in  the  past,  and  live,  as  it  were,  from 
the  beginning  of  time  to  the  present  hour;  but 
we  cannot  extend  our  researches  into  the  future. 
History  relates  to  the  past.  Prophecy  to  the 
future. 

"History  embraces  the  biography  of  men  and 
Nations;  their  ups  and  downs,  rise  and  fall, 
detailing  the  incidents  which  have  been,  the 
changes  which  liave  occurred,  the  improvements 
which  have  been  made,  and  when  known,  the 
reasons  therefor,  which  is  the  ^^A/teo^Ay  of 
history. 

"There  are,  however,  many  things  of  interest 
on  the  face  of  the  earth  of  which  we  have  no 
history,  for  the  reason  that  none  has  reached 
us,  if  any  was  ever  written;  of  such  we  can  only 
draw  inferences  of  their  causes  from  the  effects 
which  lie  before  us.  Such  is  the  case  in  refer- 
ence to  the  ancient  tumuli  which  abound  to  an 
unknown  extent  in  the  western  Slates,  but  in 
none  of  them  more  numerously  than  in  oui-  own. 

'■'riieir  forms,  and  the  materials  of  which 
they  are  made,  clearly  indicate  tlie  work  of 
liuman  liands,  and  intelligence  and  design  on 
the  part  of  the  builders.  The  forts  and  fortifi- 
cations indicate  the  existence  of  wars  among 
tliem,  and  that  the  combatants  had  more  or  less 
knowledge  of  military  Mcicnce.  In  some  of 
them  the  existence  of  st)mething  like  brick  or 
pottery  indicates  some  advances  in  the  arts  of 
civilization,  much  more  so  than  anything  found 
among  the  aborigines  which  the  Anglo-Saxon 
race  found  in  the  country.  But  the  present 
race  of  Indians  have  no  traditions  of  the  people 


who  made  these  mounds,  nor  of  the  design  for 
which  they  were  built. 

"The  age  in  which  these  builders  lived,  or 
the  distance  of  time  from  the  present,  is  inferred 
from  the  age  of  trees  found  growing  in  the 
mounds,  some  of  which,  from  their  annual 
rings,  are  supposed  to  be  400  years  old.  But 
who  were  the  builders,  whence  they  came, 
whither  they  went,  or  by  what  means  they  be- 
came extinct,  lies  in  the  impenetrable  darkness 
of  the  past,  and  is  not  likely  to  be  known  in 
time.  But  there  is  an  interest  excited  in  the 
mind  on  seeing  these  ancient  works,  a  written 
history  of  which  would  highly  gratify,  if  it 
were  authentic,  or  believed  so  to  be.  This 
interest  in  us  shows  the  duty  to  the  future,  to 
record  what  we  know  of  the  past  or  present,  for 
its  edification,  as  we  would  that  others  should 
have  done  unto  us,  even  so  we  should  do  to 
those  who  are  to  follow  us. 

"As  the  matter  relative  to  these  mounds  now 
stands,  conjecture  alone  can  answer  the  inquiries 
of  the  antiquarian,  which  in  most  cases  is  as  un- 
satisfactory as  the  total  darkness  in  which  the 
history  of  those  times  is  now  enveloped.  Some 
have  thought  that  these  mounds  were  thrown 
up  as  monuments  over  the  distinguished  dead, 
and  have  inferred  this  from  the  fact  that  in 
some  of  them  relics  have  been  found.  But  as 
the  most  and  the  largest  of  them,  on  examina- 
tion, are  found  to  contain  no  such  remains,  the 
inference  is  not  well  founded. 

"That  human  bones  and  Lulian  relics  have 
been  found  in  some  of  them  of  late  years  is  no 
[iroof  that  they  were  erected  for  places  of  in- 
terment; for  since  the  whites  have  been  in  the 
country,  our  modern  Indians  have  been  in  the 
habit,  more  or  less,  of  i)uryini;  their  dead  in 
them,  and  frequently  guns,  axes,  kettles,  etc., 
have  been  found  with  the  bones — and  some- 
times without  them — which  shows  that  the  in- 
terment took  place  since  the  whites  came  to  the 
continent,  and  the  fact  that  such  metallic  sub- 
stances have  been  found  without  the  bones, 
shows  that   if   men  were   buried  there  at  first, 


94 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


their  bones  could  not  have  continuetl  in  a  state 
of  preservation  until  this  time. 

"It  is  worthy  of  remark  that  while  in  Ohio 
the  most  pi'ominent  of  these  tumuli  were  forts 
or  fortifications  in  Wisconsin,  but  few  of  that 
description  are  found.  I  can  now  call  to  mind 
but  one  such,  that  at  Aztalan,  and  in  traveling 
extensively  in  the  State  for  twenty-two  years,  I 
have  noticed  but  few  of  these  mounds  south  of 
a  line  drawn  east  from  the  mouth  of  the  Wis- 
consin river  to  the  lake,  while  north  of  this  line 
and  between  the  Wisconsin  and  Mississippi 
rivers  there  are  probably  1,000  of  them.  In 
Crawford  county  alone  there  are  at  least  500, 
100  of  which  can  be  found  in  the  towns  of 
Prairie  du  Chien  and  Wauzeka. 

"The  evidences  of  ancient  mining  found  in 
the  Lake  Superior  copper  region,  with  trees  on 
them  of  400  years' growth  or  more,  indicating 
some  degree  of  intelligence  and  skill,  makes  it 
probable  that  those  mines  were  wrought  by  the 
same  race  of  people  who  made  the  mounds,  and 
at  about  the  same  time;  and  yet,  there  being  no 
copper  relics  found  in  these  mounds,  makes  it 
probable  that  either  they  had  no  commerce 
with  each  other,  or  that  they  were  few  in  num- 
ber and  emigrated  from  place  to  place,  to 
avoid  their  pursuing  enemies,  and  that  those 
mines  were  their  last  retreat,  from  which  they 
disappeared  from  this  country,  either  by  emi- 
gration or  by  being  destroyed.  The  latier,  I 
think,  is   the  most  probable." 

OF  THE  INDIANS. 

The  earliest  record  we  have  of  the  occupa- 
tion of  Crawford  county  and  contiguous  ter- 
ritory, by  the  Indians,  is  that  given  on  the  map 
of  Samuel  Champlain,  dated  in  lo32.  It  is 
there  seen  that  reports  had  reached  the  ears  of 
the  French  upon  the  waters  of  the  St.  Lawrence, 
of  a  great  river  to  the  westward  of  Lake  Huron 
and  to  the  southward  of  Lake  Superior,  but 
which  it  was  said  flowed  north  into  the  lake 
last  mentioned.  This  was  a  vague  account  of 
the  Mississippi.     Upon  that  river  are  located 


savages,  which,  probably,  were  those  afterward 
known  as 

THE  SIOUX. 

Bands  of  this  Nation  occupied  the  whole 
country  immediately  north  of  the  Wisconsin 
and  adjacent  to  the  Mississippi.  It  is  not 
known  that  they  had  any  village  within  what 
is  now  Crawford  county;  but  this  region  was, 
probably,  their  hunting  grounds,  if  they  did 
not  actually  occupy  it  with  their  wigwams. 

It  was  known  to  the  French,  also,  before 
any  white  man  had  ever  set  foot  upon  any  part 
of  Wisconsin  or  the  northwest,  that  these  Sioux 
were  in  the  habit  of  going  in  their  canoes  to 
trade  with  the  Winnebagoes,  who  were  located 
at  that  time  (before  1634)  around  Lake  Winne- 
bago. Farther  than  this,  no  knowledge  had 
been  gained  of  these  savages.  Not  many 
years  afterward  they  must  have  withdrawn 
I  farther  up  the  Mississippi,  leaving  the  country 
upon  and  down  this  river  for  some  distance 
from  the  mouth  of  the  Wisconsin,  without 
inhabitants.  At  this  time,  the  nearest  savages 
eastward,  were  the  Kickapoos,  Miamis  and 
Mascoutins,  who  were  located  on  Fox  river 
above  Lake  Winnebago.  Such  was  the  case  in 
1634,  when  John  Nicolet,  the  first  man  to 
explore  the  present  State  of  Wisconsin,  reached 
that  river. 

"The  first  inhabitants  of  this  region,"  says  the 
Rev.  Alfred  IJrunson,  "included  in  the  original 
county  of  Crawford,  of  whom  we  have  any 
knowledge,  except  from  ancient  tumuli,  were 
the  Dakota  or  Sioux  Indians.  The  builders  of 
those  tumuli  are  so  far  lost  in  the  past,  that  no 
pretence  is  made  to  a  history  of  them,  except 
in  the  pretended  visions  of  Joe  Smith,  in  his 
so  called  Golden  Bible.  When  the  French 
missionaries  and  traders  from  Canada  first 
visited  the  country  south  of  Lake  Superior, 
east  of  the  Mississippi,  and  north  and  west  of 
the  Wisconsin,  the  Sioux  were  the  lords  of  the 
soil. 

"I  learned  from  the  Chippewas  at  La  Pointe, 
when  I  was  agent  for  the  United  States  among 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


95 


them  in  1842-3,  tliat  previous  to  their  crossing 
Lake  Superior  to  settle  upon  its  southern  shores, 
the  Sioux  occupied  the  whole  country  south  of 
it,  and  as  far  east,  at  least,  as  Ke-\ve-wa-non 
Bay,  then  called  Che-goi-me-gon;  for  there,  in 
1661,  it  seems  they  captured  and  killed  the 
missionary  Rene  Mesnard,  whose  cassock  and 
breviary  were  afterwards  found  among  the 
Sioux,  kept  by  them  as  amulets."  * 

THE  SACS  AND  FOXES 

What  is  now  Crawford  county  and  its  surround- 
ing country  remained  a  derelict  region  until 
finally  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  from  the  east  came  to 
Fox  river  and  then  moved  westward  to  the 
Wisconsin.  Of  all  the  tribes  who  have  inhab- 
ited this  State,  they  are  the  most  noted.  The 
Sacs  were  sometimes  called  Sauks  or  Saukies 
and  the  Foxes  were  frequently  known  as  the 
Outagamies.  They  are  of  the  Algonquin 
family,  and  are  first  mentioned  in  1665,  by 
Father  Allouez,  but  as  separate  tribes.  After- 
ward, however,  because  of  the  identity  of  their 
language,  and  their  associations,  they  were  and 
still  are  considered  one  Nation.  In  December, 
1669,  Allouez  found  upon  the  shores  of  Green 
bay  a  village  of  Sacs,  occupied  also  by  members 
of  otiier  tribes,  and  early  in  1670  he  visited  a 
village  of  llie  same  Indians  located  upon  the  Fox 
river  of  Green  bay,  at  a  distance  of  four  leagues 
from  its  mouth.  Here  a  device  of  these  In- 
dians for  catching  fish  arrested  the  attention 
of  th(^  missionary.  "  From  one  side  of  the 
river  to  the  other,"  he  writes,  "they  made  a 
barricade,  planting  great  stakes,  two  fatiioms 
from  the  water,  in  such  a  manner  that  there  is, 
as  it  were,  a  bridge  above  for  the  fishes,  who  by 
the  aid  of  a  little  bow-net,  easily  take  sturgeons 
and  all  other  kinds  of  fish  which  this  pier  stops, 
alihough  the  water  does  not  cease  to  flow  be- 
tween the  stakes."  When  the  Jesuit  father  first 
obtained,  five  years  jirevious,  a  knowledge  of 
this    tribe,    they    were    repre.-'entcd    as    savage 

above  all  others,  great  in  numbers,  and  without 

any    ]>ennanent   dwelling    place.      The    Foxes 

•  Bancroft's  history  of  the  United  States,  Vol.  3,  P.  117. 


were  of  two  stocks — one  calling  themselves 
Outagamies  or  Foxes,  whence  our  English 
name  ;  the  other,  Wusquakink,  or  men  of  red 
clay,  the  name  now  used  by  the  tribe.  They 
lived  in  early  times  with  their  kindred  the 
Sacs  east  of  Detroit,  and  as  some  say,  near  the 
St.  Lawrence.  They  were  driven  west,  and 
settled  at  Saginaw,  a  name  derived  from  the 
Sacs.  Thence  they  were  forced  by  the  Iro- 
quois to  Green  bay  ;  but  were  compelled  to 
leave  that  place  and  settle  on  Fox  river. 

Allouez,  on  the  •24tli  of  April,  1670,  arrived 
at  a  village  of  the  Foxes,  situated  on  Wolf 
river,  a  northern  tributary  of  the  Fox.  "The 
Nation,"  he  declares,  "is  renowned  for  being 
numerous  ;  they  have  more  than  400  men  bear- 
ing arms  ;  the  number  of  women  and  children 
is  greater,  on  account  of  polygamy  which  ex- 
ists among  them- — each  man  having  commonly 
four  wives,  some  of  them  six,  and  others  as  high 
as  ten."  The  missionary  found  that  the  Foxes 
had  retreated  to  those  parts  to  escape  the  perse- 
cutions of  the  Iroquois.  Allouez  established 
among  these  Indians  his  Mission  of  St.  Mark, 
rejoicing  in  the  fact  that  in  less  than  two  yeais 
he  had  baptized  "sixty  children  and  some 
adults."  The  Foxes,  at  the  summons  of  De  la 
Barre,  in  1684,  sent  warriors  against  the  Five 
Nations.  They  also  took  part  in  Denonville's 
more  serious  campaign  ;  but  soon  after  became 
hostile  to  the  French.  As  early  as  1693,  they 
iiad  plundered  several  on  their  way  to  trade 
with  the  Sioux,  alleging  that  they  were  carry- 
ing arms  and  ammunitions  to  their  ancient  ene- 
mies frequently  causing  them  to  make  port- 
ages to  the  southward  in  crossing  from  Lake 
Michigan  to  the  Mississi])p).  Afterward  they 
became  reconciled  to  the  French  ;  but  the  rec- 
onciliation was  of  short  duration.  In  1712, 
Fort  Detroit,  then  defended  by  only  a  handful 
of  men,  was  attacked  by  them  in  Conjui  ction 
with  the  Mascoutins  and  Kickapoos.  However, 
in  the  end,  by  calling  in  friendly  Indians,  the 
garrison   not    only    protected    themselves   but 


96 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


were  enabled  to  act  on  the  offensive,  destroying 
the  greater  part  of  the  besieging  force. 

The  Nation  continued  their  ill  will  to  the 
French.  The  consequence  was  that  their  terri- 
tory in  1716  had  been  invaded  and  they  were 
reduced  to  sue  for  peace.  But  their  friendship 
was  not  of  long  continuance.  In  1718  the  Foxes 
numbered  500  men  and  "abounded  in  women 
and  children."  They  are  spoken  of  at  that  date 
as  being  very  industrious,  raising  large  quanti- 
ties of  Indian  corn.  In  1728  another  expedition 
was  sent  against  them  by  the  French.  Mean- 
while the  Menomonees  had  also  become  hostile; 
so,  too,  the  Sacs,  who  were  now  the  allies  of 
the  Foxes.  The  result  of  the  enterprise  was, 
an  attack  upon  and  the  defeat  of  a  number  of 
Monomonees  ;  the  burning  of  the  wigwams  of 
the  Winnebagoes  (after  passing  the  deserted 
village  of  the  Sacs  upon  the  Fox  river),  that 
tribe,  also,  at  this  date  being  hostile  ;  and  the 
destruction  of  the  fields  of  the  Foxes.  Tliey 
were  again  attacked  in  their  own  country  by 
the  French,  in  1730,  and  defeated.  In  1734 
both  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  came  in  conflict  with 
the  same  foe  ;  but  this  time  the  French  were 
not  as  successful  as  on  previous  expeditions. 
In  1730  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  were  "connected 
with  the  government  of  Canada ;"  but  it  is 
certain  they  were  far  from  being  friendly  to 
the  French. 

The  conflict  between  France  and  Great  Brit- 
ain,-commencing  in  1754,  found  the  Sacs  and 
Foxes  allied  with  the  former  power,  against  the 
English,  although  not  long  previous  to  this  time 
they  were  the  bitter  enemies  of  the  Frencli.  At 
the  close  of  that  contest  so  disastrous  to  the  in- 
terests of  France  in  North  America,  these  tribes 
readily  gave  in  their  adhesion  to  the  conquerors, 
asking  that  English  traders  might  be  sent  them. 
The  two  Nations,  then  about  equally  divided, 
numbered,  in  1761,  about  700  warriors.  Neither 
of  the  tribes  took  part  in  Pontiac's  war,  but  they 
befriended  the  English.  The  Sacs  had  emigrated 
farther  to  the  westward;  but  the  Foxes,  at  :east 
a  portion  of  them,  still  remained  upon  the   wa- 


ters of  the  river  of  Green  bay,  which  perpet- 
uates their  name.  A  few  years  later,  however, 
and  the  former  were  occupants  of  the  upper 
Wisconsin  ;  also  to  a  considerable  distance  be- 
low the  portage,  where  their  chief  town  was 
located.  Further  down  the  same  stream  was 
the  upper  village  of  the  Foxes,  while  tlieir  lower 
one  was  situated  near  its  mouth  at  the  site  of 
the  present  city  of  Prairie  du  Cliien.  At  this 
date,  1766,  and  even  later,whatis  now  Crawford 
county,  was  within  the  territory  claimed  as 
theirs.  Gradually,  however,  they  retreated 
down  the  Mississippi  until,  before  the  close  of 
the  century  all  their  possessions  in  what  is  now 
Wisconsin,  was  in  the  extreme  southwest.  They 
no  longer  had  their  hunting  grounds  to  the 
northward  of  the  Wisconsin  river.  Another 
tribe  had,  as  it  were,  crowded  them  out. 

During  the  War  of  the  Revolution,  the  Sacs 
and  Foxes  continued  the  firm  friends  of  the 
English.  In  1804  they  ceded  their  lands  south 
of  the  Wisconsin  river  to  the  United  States  ; 
so  that  they  no  longer  were  owners  of  any  lands 
within  this  State.  From  that  date,  therefore, 
these  allied  tribes  cannot  be  considered  as  be- 
longing to  the  Indian  Nations  of  Wisconsin. 
They  were  generally  friendly  to  Great  Britain 
during  the  War  of  181V-15,  but  they  soon  made 
peace  with  the  United  States  after  that  contest 
ended.  A  striking  episode  in  their  subsequent 
history  is  the  Black  Hawk  War,  which  will  be 
narrated  in  a  subsequent  chapter.  The  exact 
date  of  the  Foxes  leaving  the  Wisconsin  river 
country  is  unknown.  They  sold  the  prairie  at 
the  mouth  of  that  stream  to  some  Canadian 
French  traders,  in  1781,  and  subsequently  vaca- 
ted their  village.  Probably  about  the  begin- 
ning of  the  present  century  they  had  al)andoned 
this  region  as  their  home,  although  they  long 
after  visited  it  for  the  purposes  of  trade. 

WHY    THE    FOX     INDIANS     LEFT    THE    LOWER   WIS- 
CONSIN. 
[By  Jonathan  Carver.] 

On  the  8th  of  October,  (1766),  we  got  our 
canoes  into  the  Ouisconsin  river,  which  at  this 
place  is   more  than  a  hundred  yards  wide  and 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


97 


the  next  day  arrived  at  the  great  town  of  the 
Saukies.  This  is  the  largest  and  best  built 
Indian  town  I  ever  saw.  It  contains  about 
ninety  houses,  each  large  enough  for  several 
families.  These  are  built  of  hewn  plank,  neatly 
jointed  and  covered  with  bark,  so  compactly 
as  to  keep  out  the  most  penetrating  rains.  Be- 
fore the  doors  are  placed  comfortable  sheds,  in 
which  the  inhabitants  sit,  when  the  weather 
will  permit,  and  smoke  their  pipes.  The  streets 
are  regular  and  spacious,  so  that  it  appears  more 
like  a  civilized  town  than  the  abode  of  savages. 
The  land  near  the  town  is  very  good.  On  their 
plantations,  which  lie  adjacent  to  their  houses, 
and  which  are  neatly  laid  out,  they  raise  quan- 
tities of  Indian  corn,  beans,  melons,  etc.,  so 
that  this  place  is  esteemed  the  best  market  for 
traders  to  furnish  themselves  with  provisions 
of  any  within  800  miles  of  it. 

The  ?aukies  can  raise  about  300  warriors,  who 
are  generally  emjiloyf d  every  summer  in  mak- 
ing excursions  into  the  territories  of  the  Illi- 
nois and  Pawnee  Nations,  from  whence  they 
return  with  a  great  number  of  slaves.  But 
those  people  frequently  retaliate,  and,  in  their 
turn,  destroy  many  of  the  Saukies,  which  I 
judge  to  be  the  reason  why  they  increase  no 
faster. 

Whilst  1  stayed  here  I  took  a  view  of  some 
mountains, (Blue  Mounds),  that  lay  about  fifteen 
miles  to  the  southward,  and  al>ounded  in  lead 
ore.  I  ascended  one  of  the  highest  of  these, 
and  li:id  an  extensive  view  of  the  country.  For 
nianv  miles  nothing  was  to  be  seen  but  lesser 
mountains,  which  appeared  at  a  distance  like 
liaycocks,  they  being  free  from  trees.  Only  a 
few  groves  of  hickory  and  stunted  oaks,  covered 
some  of  the  valleys. 

So  plentiful  is  lead  here  that  I  saw  large 
quantities  of  it  lying  about  the  streets  in  the 
town  belonging  to  the  Saukies,  and  it  seemed  to 
be  as  good  as  the  produce  of  other  countries. 
On  the  10th  of  October  we  proceeded  down 
the  river,  and  the  next  day  reached  the  first 
town  of  the  Outagaraies,     This  town  contained 


about  fifty  houses,  but  we  found  most  of  them 
deserted,  on  account  of  an  epidemical  disorder 
that  had  lately  raged  among  them,  and  carried 
off  more  than  one  half  of  the  inhabitants.  -The 
greater  part  of  those  who  survived  had  retired 
into  the  woods  to  avoid  the  contagion. 

On  the  15th  we  entered  that  extensive  river, 
the  Mississippi.  The  Otnsconsin,  from  the  car- 
rying place  to  the  part  where  it  falls  into  the 
Mississippi,  flows  with  a  smooth  but  strong  cur- 
rent ;  the  water  of  it  is  exceedingly  clear,  and 
through  it  you  may  perceive  a  fine  and  sandy 
bottom,  tolerably  free  from  rocks.  In  it  are  a 
few  islands,  the  soil  of  which  appeared  to  be 
good,  though  somewhat  woodj.  The  land  near 
the  river  also  seemed  to  be,  in  general,  excel- 
lent; but  that  at  a  distance  is  very  fidl  of  moun- 
tains, where,  it  is  said,  there  are  many  lead 
mines. 

About  five  miles  from  the  junction  of  the 
rivers  I  observed  the  ruins  of  a  large  town,  in 
a  very  pleasing  situation.  On  in(juiring  of  the 
neighboring  Indians  why  it  was  thus  deserted,  I 
was  informed  that,  about  thirty  years  ago,  the 
Great  Spirit  appeared  on  the  top  of  a  pyramid 
of  rocks,  which  lay  at  a  little  distance  from  it 
toward  the  west,  and  warned  them  to  quit  their 
habitations  ;  for  the  land  on  which  they  were 
built  belonged  to  liim,  and  be  had  occasion 
for  it.  As  a  proof  that  he,  who  gave  them  these 
orders,  was  really  the  Great  Spirit,  he  further 
told  them  that  the  grass  should  immediately 
spring  up  on  those  very  rocks  from  whence  he 
now  addressed  them,  which  they  knew  to  be 
bare  and  banen.  The  Indians  obeyed,  and  soon 
after  discovered  that  this  miraculous  alteration 
had  taken  place,  'l^hey  showed  me  the  sj)0t, 
but  the  growth  of  the  grass  appeared  to  be  no 
ways  supernatural.  I  apprehended  this  to  have 
been  a  stratagem  of  the  French  or  S])aniards  to 
answer  some  selfish  view  ;  but  in  what  manner 
they  effected  their  pur])ose  I  know  not.  This 
people,  soon  after  their  removal,  built  a  town 
on  the  bank  of  the  Mi88i8sip])i,  ne.ir  the  mouth 
of   the  Ouisconsin,   at  a  place   called    by   the 


98 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


French  Les  Prairies  les  Chiens,  which  signifies 
the  Dog  Plains  ;  it  is  a  large  town  and  contains 
about  300  families  ;  the  houses  are  well  built, 
after  the  Indian  manner,  and  pleasantly  situated 
on  a  very  rich  soil,  from  which  they  raise  every 
necessary  of  life  in  great  abundance.  I  saw  here 
many  horses  of  a  good  size  and  shape.  This 
town  is  a  great  mart,  where  all  the  adjacent 
tribes,  and  even  those  who  inhabit  the  most  re- 
mote branches  of  the  Mississippi,  annually  as- 
semble about  the  latter  end  of  May,  bringing 
with  them  their  furs  to  dispose  of  to  the  traders. 
But  it  is  not  always  that  they  conclude  their 
sale  here  ;  this  is  determined  by  a  general  coun- 
cil of  the  chiefs,  who  consult  whether  it  would 
be  more  conducive  to  their  interests  to  sell  their 
goods  at  this  place,  or  carry  them  on  to  Louisi- 
ana or  Michiilimackinac  ;  according  to  the  de- 
cision of  this  council,  they  either  proceed  far- 
ther or  return  to  their  different  homes. 

The  Mississippi,  at  the  entrance  of  the  Ouis- 
consin,  near  which  stands  a  mountain  of  con- 
siderable height,  is  about  half  a  mile  over  ;  but 
opposite  to  the  last  mentioned  town,  it  appears 
to  be  more  than  a  mile  wide  and  full  ot 
islands,  the  soil  of  which  is  extraordinarily  rich 
and  but  thinly  wooded. 

CO.VCERNING    THE    FOX    INDIANS. 
[By  Schoolcraft,  1820.] 

The  first  we  hear  of  these  people  (the  Foxes) 
is  from  early  missionaries  of  New  France,  who 
call  them,  in  a  list  drawn  up  for  the  govern- 
ment in  1V36,  "Gens  du  Sang"  and  Miskaukis. 
The  latter  I  found  to  be  the  name  they  apply  to 
themselves.  We  get  nothing,  however,  by  it. 
It  means  red  earth,  being  a  compound  from 
■ni'isk-icau,  red,  and  cmkie,  earth.  They  are  a 
branch  of  the  great  Algonquin  family.  The 
French,  who  formed  a  bad  opinion  of  them 
as  their  history  opened,  bestowed  on  them  the 
name  of  Renouard,  from  which  we  derive  their 
long  standing  popular  name.  Their  traditions 
attribute  their  origin  to  eastern  portions  of 
America.  Mr.  Gates,  who  acted  as  my  inter- 
preter  and  is   well   acquainted  with  their  lan- 


guages and  customs,  informs  me  that  their  tradi- 
tions refer  to  their  residence  on  the  north  banks 
of  the  St.  Lawrence,  near  the  ancient  cataraqui. 
They  appear  to  have  been  a  very  erratic, 
spirited,  warlike  and  treacherous  tribe,  dwelling 
but  a  short  time  at  a  spot,  and  pushing  west- 
ward as  their  affairs  led  them,  till  they  finally 
reached  the  Mississippi,  which  they  must  have 
crossed  after  1766,  for  Carver  found  them  liv- 
ing in  villages  on  the  Wisconsin.  At  Saginaw 
they  appeared  to  have  formed  a  fast  alliance 
with  the  Sauks,  a  tribe  to  whom  they  are  closely 
allied  by  language  and  history.  They  figure  in 
the  history  of  Indian  events  about  old  Michili- 
mackinac,  where  they  played  pranks  under  the 
not  very  definite  title  of  Muscodainsug,  but  are 
first  conspicuously  noted  while  they  dwelt  on 
the  river  bearing  their  name,  which  falls  into 
Green  bay,  Wisconsin.*  The  Chippewas,  with 
whom  they  have  strong  affinity  of  language, 
call  them  Outagamie,  and  ever  deemed  them  a 
sanguinary  and  unreliable  tribe.  The  French 
defeated  them  in  a  sanguinary  battle  at  Butte 
de  Mort,  and  by  this  defeat  drove  them  from 
Fox  River. 

Their  present  numbers  cannot  be  accurately 
given.  I  was  informed  that  the  village  I  visited 
contained  250  souls.  They  have  a  large  village 
at  Rock  Island,  where  the  Foxes  and  Sauks 
live  together,  which  consistsof  sixty  lodges,  and 
numbers  300  souls.  One-half  of  these  may  be 
Sauks.  'I'hey  have  another  village  at  the  mouth 
of  Turkey  river  ;  altogether  they  may  muster 
from  460  to  500  souls.  \  et,  they  are  at  war 
with  most  of  the  tribes  around  them,  except 
the  lowas,  Sauks  and  Kickapoos.  They  are  en- 
gaged in  a  deadly  and  apparently  successful 
war  against  the  Sioux  tribes.  They  recently 
killed  nine  men  of  that  Na-tion,  on  the  Terre 
Blue  river,  and  a  party  of  twenty  men  are  now 
absent,  in  the  same  direction,  under  a  half-breed 
named  Morgan.  They  are  on  bad  terms  with 
the    Osages  and  Pawnees,  of  the  Missouri,  and 


*Thi8  name  was  first  applied  to  a  territory  in  1836. 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


09 


not  on  the  best  terms  with  their  neighbors,  the 
Winnebagoes. 

I  again  embarked  at  4  o'clock  a.  m.  (sUi).  My 
men  were  stout  fellows,  and  worked  witli  hearty 
will,  and  it  was  thought  possilile  to  reach  the 
prairie  during  the  day  by  hard  and  late  push- 
ing We  passed  Turkey  river  at  2  o'clock,  and 
they  boldly  plied  their  paddles,  sometimes  ani- 
mating their  labors  with  a  song;  but  the 
Mississippi  proved  too  stout  for  us,  and  some- 
time after  night-fall  we  put  ashore  on  an 
island,  before  reaching  the  Wisconsin. 

In  ascending  the  river  this  day,  I  observed  the 
pelican,  which  exhibited  itself  in  a  flock  stand- 
ing on  a  low  sandy  spot  of  an  island  This 
bird  has  a  clumsy  and  unwieldy  look,  from  the 
du)ilicate  membrane  attached  to  its  lower 
niandible,  which  is  constructed  so  as  when 
inflated  to  give  it  a  bag-like  appearance.  A 
shoit  sleep  served  to  restore  the  men,  and  we 
were  again  in  our  canoes  the  next  morning 
(9th)  before  I  could  certainly  tell  tlie  time  by 
my  watch.  I'ayligiit  had  not  yet  broke  when 
we  passeil  the  influx  of  the  Wisconsin,  and  we 
reached  the  prairie  under  a  full  chorus  and 
landed  at  6  o'clock. 

INDIAN  CON'FLICTS    WITHIN  THE  COUNTY. 

The  various  tribes,  in  visiting  the  "])rairi('," 
or  in  passing  up  and  down  the  Mississippi, 
sometimes  came  in  deadly  conflict  within  the 
present  limits  of  this  county,  since  the  first  set- 
tlement iiere  by  white  men — the  result,  in  many 
case-*,  of  ancient  hostilities  existing  between 
them.  Two  writers  have  well  described  some 
of  tliese  conflicts,  and  their  accounts  arc  ap- 
pended. 

WAR    BKTWEE.V    TUE    SACS    AND    FOXES    AND    THE 

SIOUX. 

[I.— ny  Mrs   H.  S.  Baird,  or  Green  Day] 

During  tlie  first  lialf  of  the  present  century, 

there  existed  between  diflFcrcnt  Indian  tribes  of 

the  north  and  west,   a  succession  of  sanguinary 

wars.     The  conflicts    between    the    contending 

partie^  were  marked  by  the  characteristic  traits 

of  cruelty    and    ferocity    of  a   barbarous    race. 


The  tribes  engaged  in  these  hostilities  were  the 
Sioux,  Chippe"  as,  Sacs,  Foxes  and  Winneba- 
goes. Their  battles  were  not  always  fought  in 
their  own  country,  nor  on  t'  eir  own  lands. 
Whenever  and  wherever  a  hostile  ]iarly  met,  a 
contest  was  sure  to  be  the  result;  and  many 
incidents  connected  with  this  warfare  were 
observed  by  the  early  settlers  of  Wisconsin,  one 
of  which  I  witnessed,  and  will  relate. 

In  the  month  of  May,  1830,  with  my  family, 
F  visited  Prairie  dii  Chien,  on  the  Mississippi; 
we  were  guests  of  the  late  Joseph  Rolette, 
then  a  trader,  and  agent  of  the  American  Fur 
Company.  One  evening,  a  few  days  after  our 
arrival,  we  were  startled  by  hearing  the  con- 
tinual and  successive  reports  of  fire-arras,  ap- 
parently on  the  Mississippi  below.  The  firing 
continued  for  an  hour  or  more,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  sounds  of  Indian  drums  and  savage 
j'ells,  with  an  occasional  discharge  of  guns. 

The  family  having  retired  at  the  usual  time, 
were  aroused  from  their  slumbers  about  mid- 
night by  hearing  foot-steps  on  the  piazza,  con- 
versation in  the  Indian  language,  and  finally  by 
knocking  on  the  door  and  window  shutters. 
Mr.  Rolette  immediately  arose  and  went  out  to 
ascertain  the  cause  of  the  disturbance,  when  he 
was  informed  that  a  l)loody  battle  had  been 
fought,  and  the  visitors  were  the  victors,  and 
had  called  up  their  trader  to  inform  him  of 
their  victory,  and  to  obtain  the  necessary  spirit 
water  to  celebrate  the  glorious  event  in  regular 
savage  style.  Their  wants  were  supplied,  of 
course,  when  tliey  took  their  leave,  but  not  to 
sleep;  neither  could  we  sleep,  as  the  warriors 
kept  up  through  the  night  a  most  horrible  pow- 
wow, enlivened  by  savage  yells,  all  plainly 
within  our  hearing. 

In  the  morning  we  heard  the  particulars  of 
the  savage  fight,  and  during  the  day  witnessed 
one  of  the  most  disgusting  and  revolting  exhi- 
bitions that  human  beings  could  display. 

On  the  day  before  the  battle,  or  rather  mas- 
sacre, a  war  party  of  some  twenty  or  twenty- 
five    Sioux    encamped   on    an    island    opposite 


100 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


Praii-ie  du  Chien.  They  were  there  joined  by 
a  few  Menomonees,  who  volunteered  to  assist 
their  friends,  the  Sioux.  It  appears  that  the 
latter  had  previously  received  information  that 
on  that  day  a  party  of  Sacs  and  Foxes,  their 
inveterate  enemies,  would  leave  their  village, 
situated  on  the  Mississippi,  some  distance  below 
Prairie  du  Chien,  intending  to  visit  the  latter 
place  ;  and  that  they  would  encamp  for  the 
night  at  a  regular  camping  ground,  near  the 
mouth  of  the  Wisconsin  river. 

In  the  afternoon  of  that  day,  the  Sioux  war 
party  embarked  in  several  canoes,  and  descend- 
ed the  river.  Arriving  near  the  spot  where 
they  knew  their  intended  victims  would  en- 
camp, they  drew  their  canoes  on  land,  and  care- 
fully hid  them  in  the  thick  woods,  and  then 
selected  a  spot  covered  with  a  dense  growth  of 
bushes,  and  within  a  short  gun-shot  of  the 
landing  place  on  the  camping  ground.  Here, 
with  true  Indian  cunning,  they  lay  in  ambush, 
awaiting  the  arrival  of  the  unsuspecting  Sacs 
and  Foxes.  No  fire  was  made,  and  the  still- 
ness of  death  reigned  in  the  forest.  Nor  had 
they  long  to  wait  for  the  arrival  of  their  foes. 

Between  sunset  and  dark,  the  party,  in  three 
or  four  canoes,  arrived  at  the  fatal  landing 
place,  and  dis-embarked.  It  consisted  of 
eighteen  persons,  one  old  chief,  one  squaw,  one 
boy  about  fourteen  years  old  and  fifteen 
warriors.  Upon  landing,  the  party  commenced 
unloading  the  canoes.  The  concealed  war 
party  remained  perfectly  quiet,  scarcely  breath- 
ing, so  that  their  victims  might  be  completely 
surprised.  After  all  had  landed,  and  while 
carrying  their  effects  on  shore,  leaving  their 
guns  and  war-clubs  in  the  canoes,  the  party  in 
ambush  bounded  to  their  feet,  with  a  horrible 
yell,  and  fired  a  murderous  volley  at  the  sur- 
prised party,  by  which  all  fell  except  one  man 
and  the  boy.  The  former  reached  a  canoe, 
seized  a  loaded  gun,  and  discharged  it,  mortally 
wounding  one  of  the  Sioux  ;  but  the  poor  Sac 
was  soon  despatched,  and  the  only  one  of  the 
eighteen   who  survived  was  the  boy,  who  hap- 


pened to  be  in  a  canoe.  He  seized  a  paddle, 
pushed  into  the  stream,  and  made  his  escape 
down  the  swift  current  of  the  river. 

After  the  massacre,  all  who  yet  breathed 
were  despatched,  and  horribly  mutilated. 
Hands,  feet,  fingers,  ears  and  scalps  were  out 
off,  and  more  horrible  still,  the  heart  of  the 
aged  chief  was  cut  from  his  breast,  and  all 
taken  by  the  victors  as  trophies  of  the  bloody 
conflict. 

On  the  day  succeeding  the  murder,  the  victo- 
rious party  assembled,  and  accompanied  by  a 
few  squaws,  paraded  the  streets  of  Prairie  du 
Chien,  with  the  monotonous  sounding  drum 
•and  rattle,  and  displaying  on  poles  the  scalps 
and  dismembered  human  fragments  taken  from 
the  bodies  of  their  victims.  The  whole  party 
was  painted  with  various  colors,  wore  feathers, 
and  carried  their  tomahawks,  war-clubs  and 
scalping-knives.  Stopping  in  front  of  the 
principal  houses  in  the  village,  they  danced  the 
war-dance  and  scalp-dance,  ending  with  yells 
characteristic  of  incarnate  devils. 

The  mangled  limbs  were  still  fresh  and  bleed- 
ing; one  old  squaw  had  carried  on  a  pole  the 
entire  hand,  with  a  long  strip  of  skin  from  the 
arm  of  one  of  the  murdered  men,  elevated  above 
her  head,  the  blood  trickling  down  upon  her 
hair  and  face,  while  she  kept  up  the  death-song, 
and  joined  in  the  scalp-dance.  After  this  exhi- 
bition, which  lasted  two  or  three  hours,  the 
warriors  went  to  a  small  mound,  about  200  yards 
from  Mr.  Rolette's  residence,  and  in  plain  sight 
made  a  fire  and  roasted  the  heart  of  the  old 
murdered  chief,  and  then  divided  it  into  small 
pieces  among  the  several  warriors,  who  devoured 
it,  to  inspire  them  wi'h  courage,  and  "make 
their  hearts  glad." 

The  whole  scene  was  shocking  and  disgust- 
ing in  the  extreme,  and  such  a  one,  we  hope, 
never  again  will  be  witnessed  in  a  civilized 
community. 

The  incidents  just  related  occurred  in  a  town 
containing  a  civilized  (?)  population  of  600  or 
800  inhabitants,  under  the  walls  of  the  U.  S. 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


101 


garrison,  and  within  musket  shot  of  the  fort. 
Neitlier  civil  nor  military  authorities  made  any 
effort  to  prevent  the  exhibition  of  the  revolting 
and  savage  trophies  of  the  sanguinary  battle. 
In  the  afternoon,  the  party  of  Sioux  warriors 
enibarkeil  in  their  canoes  and  ascended  the  Mis- 
sissippi, on  their  return  to  their  own  village, 
leaving  on  the  minds  and  memories  of  those 
who  witnessed  these  horrible  and  frantic  orgies 
recollections  not  soon  to  be  forgotten. 

11.— By  James  H.  Lockwood. 
In  1830  a  party  of  Sauks  and  Foxes  killed 
some  Sioux,  on  or  about  the  head-waters  of  Red 
Cedar  river,  in  the  now  State  of  Iowa;  and  the 
same  season  a  band  of  Fox  Indians,  who  resided 
about  where  Dubuque  now  is,  had  occasion  to 
visit  Prairie  du  Chien  on  business  with  the 
agent,  whom  they  had  previously  informed  that 
tliey  would  arrive  on  a  certain  day.'  An  Indian 
called  the  Kettle  was  their  chief.  It  was  gener- 
ally believed  that  John  Marsh  gave  the  Sioux 
information  of  the  coming  of  the  Foxes,  and  of 
the  lime  they  were  expected;  and  on  the  morn- 
ing of  the  day  appointed  for  the  arrival  of  ihe 
Foxes  at  Prairie  du  Chien,  :i  small  war  p:nty  of 
young  Sioux  made  their  appearance  here,  and 
joined  by  a  few  of  the  Menoinonee  young  men, 
proceeded  down  the  Mississijipi  to  the  lower 
end  of  liie  Prairie  du  Pierreaux,  some  twelve  or 
tilleen  miles  below  Prairie  du  Chien,  where  a 
narrow  ciiannel  of  the  Mississippi  runs  close  to 
that  end  of  the  prairie,  fringed  with  small  trees, 
bushes  and  grass.  They  knew  the  custom  of 
the  Indians  in  going  up  stream  to  avail  them- 
selves of  all  such  side  channels,  as  there  was 
less  current  in  them  than  in  the  broad  river; 
and  secreting  themselves  among  the  bushes, 
trees  and  grass,  awaited  their  unsuspecting  vic- 
tims. When  the  Foxes  came  within  point 
blank  shot,  they  all  fired  upon  them,  killing 
their  chief  Kettle  and  several  others.  The 
Foxes  finding  their  chief  killed,  returned  down 
the  river  to  carry  the  news  of  their  misfortunes 
to  the  tribe,  while  the  Sioux  and  Menomonees 
returned  home  with  the  tidings  of  their  victory 


and  to  dance  over  it.  They  passed  through 
Prairie  du  Chien,  and  remained  a  short  time 
here,  but  for  some  unaccountable  reason,  no  no- 
tice whatever  was  taken  of  it. 

The  signs  of  several  war  parties  of  the  Foxes 
were  reported  to  have  been  seen  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  river  during  the  year;  but  they  ef- 
fected nothing  until  sometime,  I  think,  in  June, 
1831,  when  a  considerable  number  of  Menomo- 
nees had  collected  at  Prairie  du  Chien,  and  en- 
camped on  an  island  near  the  eastern  shore  of 
'the  Mississippi,  about  one-fourth  of  a  mile  from 
the  old  Fort  Crawford.  They  had  obtained 
whisky  enough  for  all  to  get  socially  drunk  up- 
on— and  it  is  rare  to  find  a  Menomonee  who  will 
not  get  drunk  when  he  has  a  chance — and  they 
had  carried  their  revels  far  into  the  night,  until 
men,  women  and  children  were  beastly  drunk. 
About  two  hours  before  day,  a  Fox  war  party, 
that  had  been  watching  their  movements,  fell 
upon  them  in  that  helpless  state  and  killed 
about  thirty  of  them.  By  this  time  some  of  the 
more  sober  of  them  were  aroused,  and  com- 
menced firing  upon  the  Foxes;  who  fled  down 
the  river,  pursued  a  short  distance  by  the  Me- 
nomonees. 

Thomas  P.  Burnett,  the  sub-Indian  agent, 
was  sleeping  with  me  in  my  store.  It  being  veiy 
warm  weather,  we  had  made  a  bed  of  blankets 
on  the  counter,  when  about  two  hours  before 
daylight,  we  were  awakened  l)y  the  cries  of  a 
Menomonee  woman  at  the  store  door.  We  let 
her  in,  when  she  told  us  of  the  disaster  to  the 
Menomonees.  Mr.  Burnett  took  my  horse  and 
went  to  inform  Gen.  Street,  the  Indian  agent, 
who  lived  about  four  miles  above  this,  and  who 
arrived  about  daylight  and  gave  the  first  int'or- 
mation  to  the  fort.  Although  liiere  had  been  a 
great  firing  of  guns  and  hallooing  among  the 
Indians,  the  sentinels  had  reported  nothing  of 
it  to  the  officers;  but  on  hearing  of  the  affair, 
the  commandant  immediately  dispatched  a  com- 
pany of  men  in  boats  after  the  Foxes,  but  they 
did  not  overtake  them.  The  government  de- 
manded of  the  Sauks  to  deliver  up  tht  perpe- 


V 


102 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


trators  of  this  deed.  The  Foxes  fled  to  the 
Sauks,  and  their  chief,  Kettle,  being  dead,  they 
remained  among  and  amalgamated  with  them, 
and  have  not  since  continued  a  separate  Nation 
or  tribe.  I  have  always  believed  this  to  be  the 
origin  of  the  Black  Hawk  War.  There  were,  I 
suppose,  other  causes  of  discontent,  but  I  believe 
that  this  transaction  was  the  immediate  cause 
of  the  movements  of  Black  Hawk. 

III. — BY     .JOHN     H.  FONDA. 

The  same  year,  1830,  the  Fox  and  Sauk  In- 
dians killed  some  Sioux,  at  the  head  of  Cedar 
river,  in  Iowa.  Capt.  Dick  Mason*  started 
with  a  number  of  troops  for  the  scene  of  dis- 
turbance, and  I  went  along  as  guide.  We  ar- 
rived at  the  place  of  the  fight,  found  every- 
thing quiet  and  all  we  did  was  to  turn  about 
and  go  back  the  way  we  came. 

Soon  after,  the  Sioux  and  a  number  of  Monom- 
onees  attacked  a  party  of  Sauks  and  Foxes  at  Prai 
du   Pierreaux  and    killed     some    ten    Indians, 
among  whom  was  Kettle,  the  great  Fox  chief,  f 

The  Sauks  and  Foxes  were  coming  up  to  a 
treaty  unarmed,  and  the  Sioux,  made  aware  of 
this  through  their  runners,  got  the  Monomonees 
and  laid  in  ambush  on  the  east  shore.  The  un 
suspecting  Foxes  were  fired  into  from  the  am- 
buscade and  their  best  warriors  lost  their 
scalps. 

After  the  fight  the  Monomonees  and  Sioux 
came  up  here  to  have  a  dance  over  the  scalps. 
The  Indians  presented  a  horrid  appearance. 
They  were  painted  for  war  and  had  smeared 
themselves  with  blood  and  carried  the  fresh 
scalps  on  poles.  Some  had  cut  off  a  head  and 
thrust  a  stick  in  the  throttle  and  held  it  on  high; 
some  carried  a  hand,  arm,  leg  or  some  other 
portion  of  a  body,  as  trophies  of  their  success. 
They  commenced  to  dance  near  the  mound  over 
the  slough,    but  Col.    Taylor  soon  stopped  that 


*  Hichard  B.  Mason,  a  native  of  Virginia,  was  a  1st  lieu- 
tenant in  1817,  captain  in  1819;  served  in  the  Ulack  Hawlf 
War;  major  of  drag:oons  in  183J?,  lieutenant-colonel  in  1H3H 
and  colonel  in  1846.  He  commanded  the  forces  in  California 
and  was  e-x-othcio  governor  1847-48;  brevetted  briM'fldier-gen- 
eral  and  died  at  Jefferson  Barracks.  Mo.,  July  !I5,  1850. 


+   This  was  in  1830. 


by  driving  them  across  the  main  channel  on  to 
the  islands,  where  they  danced  until  their  own 
scalps  went  to  grace  the  wigwams  of  the  Sauks 
and  Foxes. 

In  April  of  1831,  I  was  in  the  hospital  at 
Fort  Crawford,  when,  through  the  influence  of 
Col.  Taylor  and  Dr.  Beaumont,  I  got  my  dis- 
charge. When  I  was  convalescent,  which 
was  about  June,  a  war  party  of  Sauk  and  Fox 
Indians  came  up  from  their  part  of  the  country 
to  the  bluff  north  of  Bloody  Run,  from  where 
they  watched  the  Monomonees,  who  were  en- 
camped on  an  island  opposite  Prairie  du  Chien, 
a  little  north  of  the  old  fort.  One  night  the 
Monomonee  camp  was  surprised  by  the  Fox  and 
Sauk  war  party,  and  all  in  the  camp  killed  ex- 
cept an  Indian  boy,  who  picked  up  a  gun  and 
shot  a  Fox  brave  through  the  heart  and  escaped. 
After  massacreing,  scalping  and  mutilating  the 
bodies,  the  Fox  Indians  got  into  canoes  and 
paddled  down  the  river  past  the  fort,  singing 
their  war  song  and  boasting  of  their  exploits- 
Soldiers  were  sent  to  punish  them,  but  I  believe 
they  failed  to  catch  them.  In  the  morning  I 
helped  to  bury  those  killed.  There  were 
twenty-seven  bodies,  all  killed  with  the  knife 
and  tomahawk,  except  the  Fox  brave  shot  by 
the  boy.  They  were  buried  in  three  graves  on 
the  landing  below  the  present  Fort  Crawford, 
and  until  within  a  f^w  years  the  spot  was 
marked  by  a  small  muslin  flag  kept  standing  by 
the  few  Monomonees  who  lingered  in  this  vicin- 
ity; but  nothing  is  now  left 'to  preserve  the  graves 
from  sacrilege,  and  soon  the  iron  horse  will 
course  o'er  the  bones  of  those  red  men, 
long  since  gone  to  their  happy  hunting  grounds. 

After  the  Monomonee  massacre,  a  warrior  of 
that  tribe  was  found  in  the  old  Catholic  grave- 
yard and  buried.  He  had  no  wounds  and  it  is 
thought  that  when  the  Foxes  attacked  the  Indi- 
ans on  the  island,  he  got  away  and  ran  so  fast 
that  he  had  to  lean  against  the  wall  to  rest,  and 
that  he  rolled  over  and  died. 

The  Indian  agency  was  removed  this  year  to 
Yellow   River  and  the  Rev.    Mr.   Lowrey  ap- 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


103 


pointed  agent.  It  was  afterwards  removed  to 
Fori  Atkinson,  Iowa.  The  mission  buildings 
can  be  seen  now  on  Yellow  river,  about  five 
miles  from  its  mouth. 

THE  WINNEBAGOKS. 

The.  Nation  which  displaced  the  Sacs  and 
Foxes  upon  the  Wisconsin  river  an4  its  contig- 
uous territory,  including  what  is  now  Vernon 
county,  was  the  VVinnebagoes.  It  is  now  250 
years  since  the  civilized  world  began  to  get  a 
knowledge  of  the  Winnebagoes — the  "men  of 
the  sea,''  as  they  were  called,  pointing,  possibly, 
to  their  early  emigration  from  the  shores  of  the 
Me,xican  gulf,  or  the  Pacific.  The  territory 
now  included  within  the  limits  of  Wisconsin, 
and  so  much  of  the  Stale  of  Michigan  as  lies 
north  of  Green  bay.  Lake  Michigan,  the  Straits 
of  Mackinaw  and  Lake  Huron  were,  in  early 
times,  inhabiletl  by  several  tribes  of  the  Algon- 
quin race,  forming  a  barrier  to  the  Dakotas,  or 
Sioux,  who  had  advanced  eastward  to  the  Mis- 
si8»ii)i)i.  lint  the  Winnebagoes,  although  one 
of  liie  tribes  belonging  to  tlie  family  of  the 
latter,  had  passed  llie  great  river,  at  some  un- 
known period,  and  settled  ujion  Winnebago 
lake.  Here,  as  early  as  1034,  they  were  visited 
by  Jiihn  Xicolet,  an  agent  of  France,  and  a 
treaty  concluded  with  them  Little  more  was 
luard  of  the  Winnebagoes  for  the  next  ihirty- 
tive  year.s,  when,  on  the  2d  of  December,  1669, 
some  of  that  Nation  were  seen  at  a  Sac  village 
on  Green  bay,  by  Father  Allouez. 

As  early  at  least  as  1670,  the  French  were  ac- 
tively engaged  among  the  Winnebagoes  trading. 
'■We  found  affairs,"  says  one  of  the  Jesuit  mis- 
sionaries, wlio  arrived  among  them  in  September 
of  that  year,  "we  found  affairs  there  in  a 
pretty  bad  poslure,  and  the  mindsof  the  savages 
much  soured  against  the  French,  who  were 
there  trading;  ill  treating  them  in  deeds  and 
words,  pillaging  and  carrying  away  their  mer- 
chandise in  spite  of  tliem,  and  conducting 
themselves  toward  them  with  insupportable  in- 
solences and  indignities.  The  cause  of  this 
disorder,"  adds    the    missionary,  "is   that    they 


had  received  some  bad  treatment  from  the 
FrcTich,  to  whoiii  they  had  this  year  come  to 
trade,  and  particularly  from  the  soldiers,  from 
whom  they  pretended  to  have  received  many 
wrongs  and  injuries.  It  is  thus  made  certain 
that  the  arms  of  France  were  carried  into  the 
territory  of  the  Winnebagoes  over  200  years 
ago. 

The  Fox  river  of  Green  bay  was  found  at 
that  date  a  difficult  stream  to  navigate.  Two 
Jesuits  who  ascended  the  river  in  1670,  had 
"three  or  four  leagues  of  rapids  to  contend 
with,  when  they  had  advanced  one  day's 
journey  from  the  head  of  the  bay,  more  diffi- 
cult than  those  which  are  common  in  other 
rivers,  in  this,  that  the  flints,  over  which  they 
had  to  walk  with  naked  feet  to  drag  their  ca- 
noes, were  so  sharp  and  so  cutting,  that  one 
has  all  the  trouble  in  the  world  to  hold  one's 
self  steady  against  the  great  rushing  of  the 
waters.  At  the  falls  they  found  an  idol  that 
the  savages  honored;  never  failing,  in  pass- 
ing, to  make  him  some  sacrifice  of  tobacco,  or 
arr(;ws,  or  paintings,  or  other  things,  to  thank 
him  tliat,  by  his  assistance,  they  had,  in  ascend- 
ing, avoided  the  dangers  of  the  waterfalls 
which  are  in  this  stream;  or  else,  if  they  had  to 
ascend,  to  pray  him  to  aid  them  in  this  perilous 
navigation.  The  missionaries  caused  the  idol 
to  be  lifted  up  by  the  strength  of  the  arm, 
and  cast  into  the  depths  of  the  river,  to  appear 
no  more,  to  the  idolatrous  savages." 

The  Winnebagoes,  by  this  time,  had  not  only 
received  considerable  spiritual  instruction  from 
the  Jesuit  fathers,  but  had  obtained  quite  an 
insight  into  the  mysteries  of  trading  and  traffii- 
ing  with  wiiite  men;  for,  following  the  fool- 
steps  of  the  missionaries,  and  sometimes  pre 
ceding  them,  were  the  ubiquitous  French  fur 
traders.  It  is  impossible  to  determine  precisely 
what  territory  was  occupied  by  the  Winneba- 
goes at  this  early  date,  farther  than  that  they 
lived  near  the  head  of  Green  bay. 

A  direct  trade  with  the  F>ench  upon  the  St. 
Lawrence  was  not  carried  on  by    the    Winneba- 


104 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


goes  to  any  great  extent  until  the  beginning  of  the 
eighteentli  century.  As  early  as  1679, an  advance 
party  of  LaSalle  had  collected  a  large  store  of 
furs  at  the  mouth  of  Green  bay,  doubtless  in  a 
traffic  with  tliis  tribe  and  others  contiguous  to 
them;  generally,  however,  the  sunounding  Na- 
tions sold  their  peltries  to  the  Ottawas,  who 
disposed  of  them,  in  turn,  to  the  French.  The 
commencement  of  the  eighteenth  century  found 
the  Winnebagoes  firmly  in  alliance  with  France, 
and  in  peace  with  the,  dreaded  Iroquois.  In 
171S,  the-  Nation  numbered  600.  They  had 
moved  from  the  Fox  river  to  Green  bay.  They 
were  afterward  found  to  have  moved  up  Fox 
river,  locating  upon  Winnebago  lake, which  lake 
was  their  ancient  seat,  and  from  which  they  had 
been  driven  either  by  fear  or  the  prowess  of 
more  powerful  tribes  of  the  west  and  south- 
west. Their  intercourse  with  the  French  was 
gradually  extended  and  generally  peaceful, 
though  not  always  so,  joining  with  them,  as  did 
the  Menominees,  in  their  wars  with  the  Iro- 
quois, and  subsequently  in  their  conflicts  with 
the  English,  which  finally  ended  in  1760. 

When  the  British,  in  October,  1761,  took  pos- 
session of  the  French  post,  at  the  head  of  Green 
bay,  the  Winnebagoes  were  found  to  number 
150  warriors  only;  their  nearest  village  being 
at  the  lower  end  of  Winnebago  lake.  Tliey 
had  in  all  not  less  than  three  towns.  Their 
country,  at  this  period,  included,  not  only  that 
lake,  but  all  the  streams  flawing  into  it,  espe- 
cially Fox  river;  afterward  extended  to  the 
Wisconsin  and  Rock  rivers.  They  readily 
changed  their  course  of  trade — asking  now  of 
the  commandant  at  the  fort  for  English  traders 
to  be  sent  among  them.  In  the  Indian  outbreak 
under  Pontiac,  in  1 763,  they  joined  with  the  Me- 
nomonees  and  other  tribes  to  befriend  the 
British  garrison  at  the  head  of  the  bay,  as- 
sisting in  conducting  them  to  a  place  of  safety. 

They  continued  their  friendship  to  the  Eng- 
lish during  the  revolution,  by  joining  with 
them  against  tlie  colonies,  and  were  active  in 
the  Indian  war  of  1790-4,  taking  part  in  the  at- 


tack on  Fort  Recovery,  upon  the  Maumee,  in 
the  present  State  of  Ohio,  in  1793.  They  fought 
also  on  the  side  of  the  British  i:i  the  War  of 
1812-15,  aiding,  in  1814,  to  reduce  Prairie  du 
Chien.  They  were  then  estimated  at  4,500. 
When,  in  1816,  the  government  of  the  United 
States  sent  troops  to  take  possession  of  the 
Green  bay  country,  by  establishing  a  garrison 
there,  some  trouble  was  anticipated  from  these 
Indians,  who,  at  that  date,  had  the  reputation  of 
being  a  bold  and  warlike  tribe.  A  deputation 
from  the  Nation  came  down  Fox  river  and  re- 
monstrated with  the  American  commandant  at 
what  was  thought  to  be  an  intrusion.  They 
were  desirous  of  knowing  why  a  fort  was  to  be 
established  so  near  them.  The  reply  was  that, 
although  the  troops  were  armed  for  war  if  nec- 
essary, their  purpose  was  peace.  Their  response 
was  an  old  one:  "If  your  object  is  peace,  you 
have  too  many  men;  if  vvar,  you  have  too  few." 
However,  tlie  display  of  a  number  of  cannon, 
which  had  not  yet  been  mounted,  satisfied  the 
Winnebagoes  that  the  Americans  were  masters 
of  the  situation  and  the  deputation  gave  the 
garrison  no  further  trouble. 

On  the  3d  of  June,  1816,  at  St.  Louis,  the 
tribe  made  a  treaty  of  peace  and  friendship 
with  the  general  government;  but  they  con- 
tinued to  levy  tribute  on  all  white  people  who 
passed  up  Fox  river.  English  annuities  also 
kept  up  a  bad  feeling.  At  this  time  a  portion 
of  the  tribe  was  living  upon  the  Wisconsin 
river,  away  from  the  rest  of  the  Nation,  which 
was  still  seated  upon  the  waters  flowing  into 
Green  bay.  In  1320  they  had  five  villages  on 
Winnebago  lake  and  fourteen  on  Rock  river. 
In  1825  the  claim  of  the  Winnebagoes  was  an 
extensive  one,  so  far  as  territory  was  concerned. 
Its  southeast  boundary  stretched  away  from  the 
source  of  Rock  river,  to  within  forty  miles  of 
its  mouth,  in  Illinois,  where  the}^  had  a  village. 
On  the  west  it  extended  to  the  heads  of  the 
small  streams  flowing  into  the  Mississippi.  To 
the  northward,  it  reached  Black  river  and  the 
Upper  Wisconsin,  in  other  words,  to  the  Chip- 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


105 


pewa  territory,  including  what  is  now  Vernon 
county,  but  did  not  extend  across  Fox  river, 
aliliougli  they  contended  for  tlie  wliole  of  Win- 
nebago lake.  In  1S29  a  large  part  of  their  ter- 
ritory in  southwest  Wisconsin,  lying  between 
Sugar  river  and  the  Mississip])i,  and  extending 
to  the  Wisconsin  river,  was  sold  to  the  general 
govern  men  t. 

Just  previous  to  this  lime  occurred  the  Win- 
nebago war,  an  account  of  which  will  be  found 
in  the  next  chapter.  In  \^3-2,  all  the  residue  of 
the  Winnebago  territory  south  and  east  of  the 
Wisconsin  and  the  Fox  river  of  Green  bay,  was 
disposed  of  to  the  United  States. 

Finally,  in  the  brief  language  of  the  treaty 
between  this  tribe  (which  had  become  unsettled 
and  wasteful)  and  the  United  States,  of  the  1st 
of  November,  1837,  "the  Winnebago  Nation  of 
Indians"  ceded  to  the  general  government  "all 
their  lands  east  of  the  Mississippi."  Not  an 
acre  was  reserved.  And  the  Indians  agreed 
that,  within  eight  months  from  that  date,  they 
would  move  west  of  "the  great  river."  'i'his 
arrangement,  however,  was  not  carried  out 
fully.  In  1S42  there  were  only  756  at  Turkey 
River,  Iowa,  their  new  home,  with  as  many  in 
Wisconsin,  and  smaller  bands  elsewliere.  All 
had  become  lawless  and  roving.  Some  removed 
in  1S48;  while  a  party  to  the  number  of  over  SOO 
left  the  State  as  late  as  1873.  The  present 
home  of  the  tribe  is  in  Nebraska,  where  they 
have  a  reservation  north  of,  and  adjacent  to  the 
Omahas,  containing  over  100,00l>  acres.  How- 
ever, since  their  first  removal  beyond  the  Mis- 
sissippi, they  have  several  times  changed  th.eir 
place  of  abode.  The  period  of  Winnebago  oc- 
cupancy of  Crawford  county  and  the  region  of 
country  contiguous  thereto,  properly  began 
about  the  commencement  of  the  present  cen- 
tury and  ended,  virtually,  in  1848. 

Within  the  last  two  years  stejts  have  been 
taken  toward  paying  such  of  the  Winnebagoes, 
in  Wisconsin,  as  might  come  forward  to  be  en- 
rolled, at  least  a  j)ortion  of  the  money  due  to 
them  tmder  the   act   of  Jan.    18,1881.     It  has 


been  found  by  this  enrollment  that  the  whole 
number  of  Winnebagoes  in  Wisconsin  at  this 
time  (1884)  is  about  1,'200;  while  those  in  Ne- 
braska number  about  1,400;  so  that  the  entire 
Nation  now  consists  of  about  2,600  souls. 

Concerning  the  removal  of  the  Winnebagoes, 
John  H.  Fonda  says: 

During  the  year  1848,  just  previous  to  the 
adoption  of  the  State  Constitution,  the  Win- 
nebago Indians  were  scattered  through  the 
country  along  tlie  Wisconsin  and  Fox  rivers, 
through  the  Kiekapoo  timbers,  and  the  Lemon- 
weir  valley.  Orders  came  from  the  sub-Indian 
agent,  J.  E.  Fletcher,  to  collect  and  remove 
them  to  their  Reservation,  near  Fort  Atkinson, 
Iowa. 

In  1848,  when  orders  were  received  at  Fort 
Crawford  to  remove  the  Winnebagoes,  several 
attempts  were  made  to  do  so,  but  with  jioor 
success.  Early  in  the  same  year  I  received  the 
following  official  letter: 

Office  Sub-Indian  Agent,  ) 

Turkey  River,  Jan.  4,  1848.  \ 

Sir: — In  answer  to  your  inquiry  respecting 
the  disposition  to  be  made  of  the  Winnebago 
Indians,  who  may  be  found  wandering  about 
through  the  country,  I  have  to  say  that  I  wish 
you  to  arrest  them,  cause  them  to  be  securely 
guarded,  and  report  them  to  me  as  early  as  may 
be  practicable. 

Very  respectfully  your  obd't  servant, 
J.  E.  Fletcher, 

To  Lieut. ,  Induin  AgH. 

Commanding  Ft.  Crawford,  W.  T. 

Upon  receipt  of  the  above,  I  made  all  neces- 
sary preparation,  and  started  with  fifty  men  to 
collect  the  Indians.  This  attempt  was  quite 
successful,  and  several  hundi'ed  were  arrested, 
and  sent  to  Fort  Atkinson,  Iowa.  It  may  ap- 
pear strange  to  some  persons  that  such  a  hand- 
ful of  men  could  take  many  hundred  Indians 
prisoners,  and  guard  them  day  and  night  as  we 
traveled  through  a  wild  unsettled  country;  but 
it  was  done,  and  I  have  a  list  of  names  of  those 
men  who  accompanied  me  on  that  expedition. 


lOd 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


My  journal,  kept  during  the  time  we  were  hunt- 
ing the  Indians,  presents  numerous  interesting 
items,  only  one  or  two  of  which,  I  will  relate. 

In  taking  the  Indians,  great  caution  was 
necessary  to  enable  us  to  approach  them.  When 
the  scouts  reported  that  Indians  had  been  dis- 
covej'ed,  four  or  Ave  of  the  men  would  start  on 
ahead,  enter  the  Winnebago  camp,  collect  all 
the  guns  and  take  off  the  locks  before  the  Indians 
were  aware  of  their  intention.  Frequently  a 
hunting  party  would  come  in  while  the 
men  were  ?<?i-locking  the  guns,  and  make  a 
demonstration  of  resistance,  by  which  time 
our  entire  party  would  arrive,  and  prevail 
on  them  to  submit  to  the  same  treatment,  telling 
tiiem  if  they  came  along  with  us  quietly,  no  harm 
would  be  offered  them.  On  the  10th  of  May 
we  encamped  in  a  valley  near  the  Baraboo,  and 
three,  days  after  were  on  Dell  creek.  Here  the 
scouting  party  captured  a  Winnebago  Indian, 
who  told  me  his  part  of  the  tribe  were  encamped 
at  Seven  Mile  creek.  I  sent  eleven  men  to  the 
camp,  which  was  very  large  and  comprised  ii'any 
lodges.  When  the  main  body  had  come  up  to 
the  Indian  camp,  we  found  the  men  had  suc- 
ceeded in  getting  all  the  guns  but  one,  which 
belonged  to  a  young  brave  who  refused  to  give 
it  up.  Fearing  he  might  do  mischief,  the  gun 
was  taken  from  him.  It  was  a  fine  rifle,  of 
which  he  was  proud;  but  in  spite  of  his  remon- 
strance, the  lock  was  taken  off,  and  put  in  a  bag 
with  others.  When  the  piece  was  rendered  un- 
servicable,  they  handed  it  back  to  the  young 
Indian.  He  looked  at  it  a  moment,  and  then 
grasping  the  barrel  he  raised  it  above  his  head, 
and  brought  the  stock  down  with  such  force 
against  the  trunk  of  a  young  sapling,  as  to  break 
it  to  splinters,  and  threw  the  barrel  many  rods 
from  him.  His  sister,  an  Indian  girl  about  sev- 
enteen years  old,  picked  up  the  barrel  and  handed 
it  to  him.  The  brother  bent  it  against  the  tree 
and  then  hurled  it  over  the  bank  into  the  creek. 

The  addition  of  the  Indians  put  us  on  short 
allowance,  and  I  was  obliged  to  send  one  of  the 
wagons   back   to    Baraboo   for   provisions   and 


grain.  Just  before  making  camp  on  main  ridge 
the  15th  of  May,  my  horse  was  bitten  on  the 
nose  by  a  rattlesnake.  The  horse's  head  was 
soon  swelled  to  twice  its  natural  size,  and  I 
thought  him  as  good  as  dead,  when  an  old 
Frenchman  offered  to  make  the  horse  well  by 
the  next  morning.  I  turned  the  horse  over  to 
his  care,  and  sure  enough,  the  morning  follow- 
ing the  swelling  had  all  disappeared,  and  the 
horse  was  as  well  as  ever.  I  asked  what  he  had 
put  on  to  effect  the  sudden  cure,  he  said  he  did 
not  apply  anything,  but  one  of  the  men  told  me 
that  he  cured  the  horse  by  looking  at  and  talking 
to  it.  This  was  the  same  man  who  cured  one, 
Theo.  Warner,  now  [1858]  living  in  Prairie  du 
Chien,  when  he  was  bitten  by  a  rattlesnake. 
His  name  was  Limmery,  and  a  strange  man  he 
was;  his  eyes  were  the  smallest  I  haveeverseen 
in  the  head  of  any  human  being,  with  a  piercing 
expression  that  once  seen  could  never  be  forgot- 
ten. He  would  never  allow  a  snake  to  be  killed 
if  he  could  help  it,  and  could  take  up  the  most 
venomous  snake  with  impunity.  I  saw  him 
take  up  a  large  moccasin  snake  while  we  were 
in  the  Kickapoo  bottoms,  and  it  never  offered  to 
bite  him,  while  it  would  strike  fiercely  at  any 
third  person  who  approached  it.  I  could  only 
attribute  the  strange  power  of  this  man  to  some 
mesmeric  influence. 

We  were  fortunate  enough  to  bring  all  the 
Indians  to  Prairie  du  Chien  without  accident, 
where  they  were  delivered  to  a  body  of  regulars 
from  Fort  Atkinson,  who  moved  them  to  their 
Reservation.  'J'hat  was  the  last  of  theWinne- 
bagoes  in  Wisconsin  as  a  tribe.  There  are  now 
a  few  stragglers  loitering  near  their  old  hunt- 
ing grounds,  in  the  Kickapoo  and  Wisconsin 
bottom  lands,  but  altogether  they  do  not  exceed 
a  hundred  souls. 

THE  WINNEBAGOES  IN  1816. 

In  1816  the  Menomonees  inhibited  the  coun- 
try about  Green  bay,  and  their  women  occasion- 
ally married  Winnebagoes,  but  not  often.  The 
Menomonees  were  a  quiet  and  peaceful  race, 
well  disposed  and    friendly  to  the  whites.     To- 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


107 


mah,  the  actingj  chief  of  the   Nation,   was  well 
spoken  of  by  all  the  traders  who  knew  him. 

The  principal  villages  of  the  Winnebagoes 
were  at  the  lower  and  upper  end  of  the  lake  of 
that  name,  with  an  occasional  lodge  along  the 
Fox  river.  At  the  season  that  traders  generally 
passed  the  Portage  of  Wisconsin,  they  would 
find  old  grey  headed  Day-Kau-Ray  at  the 
Portage  with  his  band.  Their  village  was  a 
short  distance  from  there  up  the  Wisconsin, 
and  the  Winnebagoes  had  villages  up  the  Bara- 
boo  river,  and  several  small  ones  along  down 
the  Wisconsin  to  near  its  nioutii  and  up  the 
Mississijipi.  They  were  estimated  at  that  time 
by  the  liaders  best  acquainted  with  them,  to  be 
about  900  warriors  strong.  Of  tlie  Day-Kau- 
Rays,  tliere  were  four  or  five  brothers,  who 
were  all  influential  men  in  the  Nation.  One 
sister  had  a  family  of  cliildnMi  by  a  trader 
named  Lecuyer,  who  had  married  her  after  the 
Indian  manner.  Tradition  says  that  their 
latlier  was  a  French  trader,  who,  during  the 
lime  the  French  hnil  possession  of  tlie  country, 
married  a  Winnebago  woman,  tlie  daughter  of 
tlie  principal  chii'f  of  the  Nation,  l)y  whom  he 
had  these  sons  and  daughter;  that  at  the  time 
the  country  was  taken  possession  of  by  the 
English,  he  abandoned  them,  and  they  were 
raised  among  the  Indians,  and  being  the  de- 
scendants of  a  chief  on  the  mother's  side,  when 
arrived  at  manhood  they  assumed  the  dignity 
of  their  rank  by  inheritance.  They  were  gen- 
erally good  Indians,  and  fre(iuently  urged  their 
claims  to  the  friendship  of  the  whites  by  saying 
they  were  them'ielves  half  white. 

THE  WINNEBAGOES  IN   1818. 

The  locations  cf  the  different  tribes  of  Indi- 
ans in  the  vicinity  of  Crawford  county,  in  1818, 
including  also  the  homes  of  the  Winnebagoes, 
is  clearly  pointed  out  in  the  narrative  of  Ed- 
ward Tanner,  published  in  the  Detroit  Gazette 
of  January  8  and   15,  1819  : 

"The  first  tribe  of  Indians  after  leaving  St. 
Louis  is  the  Oyiwayes,  (lowas).  This  tribe  live 
about  100  miles  from  the  west  side  of  the  Mis- 


sissippi, on  the  Menomonee,  and  have  about 
400  warriors.  The  next  tribe  are  the  Sauks, 
who  live  on  the  Mississippi,  and  about  400 
miles  above  St.  Louis.  Tiiey  emigrated  from 
the  Ouisconsin  (Wisconsin)  about  thirty-five 
years  ago.  Their  military  strength  is  about  ^00 
warriors,  exclusive  of  old  men  and  boys,  and 
are  divided  into  two  divisions  of  400  men. 
Each  division  is  commanded  by  a  war  chief. 
The  first  are  those  who  have  been  most  distin- 
guished for  deeds  of  valor,  and  the  second  the 
ordinary  warriors.  They  have  also  two  village 
chiefs  who  appear  to  preside  over  the  civil 
concerns  of  the  Nation.  The  next  tribe  is  the 
Fox  Indians.  This  tribe  have  a  few  lodges  on 
the  east  side  of  the  Mississippi  near  Fort  Arm- 
strong and  about  four  miles  from  the  Sauk  vil- 
lage. Thirty  miles  above  this,  at  the  mine  De 
Buke  (Dubuque),  on  the  west  side,  they  have 
another  village,  and  another  on  Turkey  river, 
thirty  miles  below  Prairie  du  Chien.  Their 
whole  military  strength  is  about  400  warriors. 
They  are  at  this  time  in  a  state  of  war  with  the 
Sioux;  and  as  tlie  Sauks  are  in  strict  amity  with 
the  Fox  Indians,  and  liave  the  influence  and 
control  of  them,  they  are  also  drawn  into  the 
war.  This  war  was  in  consequence  of  depreda- 
tions committed  by  the  Fox  Indians  on  the 
Sioux. 

"Prairie  du  Chien,  on  which  the  village  of 
that  name  stands,  is  a  handsome  plain,  about 
half  a  mile  wide  from  the  bank  of  the  river  to 
the  bluff  or  commencement  of  the  rising  ground, 
and  out  of  danger  from  inundations.  Inconse- 
quence of  the  serpentine  course  of  the  river, 
the  plain  widens  above  and  below  the  village. 
The  soil  is  a  black  sand  about  fifteen  inclies 
deep,  appearing  to  be  very  productive.  The 
foundation  is  gravelly,  containing  amber  stones 
susceptible  of  a  handsome  polish.  Timber  is 
scarce.  The  upland  in  the  vicinity  is  very 
broken,  poor  and  nearly  barren.  In  the  settle- 
ment are  about  1,500  inhabitants,  exclusive  of 
the  military,  who  are  principally   Creoles.    As  a 


108 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


place    of  business,  it   now    appears    on  the  de- 
cline. « 

"The  river  Ouisconsin  (Wisconsin)  is  about 
half  a  mile  wide — common  deptli  one  to  four 
feet — no  falls,  but  generally  a  brisk  current. 
The  channel  is  subject  to  change,  from  the 
numerous  bars  of  sand  which  lie  in  it,  and  fre- 
quently alter  their  position.  In  the  river  are 
numerous  islands,  on  which  grow  the  principal 
timber  of  the  country.  The  banks  are  generally 
low  and  sandy — some  plains  lined  with  the  com- 
mon granite  stone.  Tlie  bordering  country  is 
very  broken,  sandy  and  barren.  In  llie  interior 
the  same  description  will  answer.  Barren, 
broken  and  destitute  of  vegetation,  few  places 
can  be  found  that  will  admit  of  settlements. 
The  Winnebago  Indians  inhabit  the  country 
bordering  on  the  tributary  streams  of  both  sides 
of  the  river.  They  appear  to  go  abroad  for 
their  game,  and  have  no  conveniences  for 
dwelling,  except  a  kind  of  lodge  which  tliey 
carry  with  them  wherever  they  go.  Their  ter- 
ritory extends  from  the  Mississippi  to  the  vi- 
cinity of  Green  bay,  and  the  number  of  their 
warriors  is  700." 

INDIAN    AFFAIRS  IN  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 

From  the  commencement  of  the  settlement 
upon  the  "Prairie  des  Chiens"  until  the  final 
disappearance  of  the  Winnebago  Indians,  as 
elsewhere  described,  Indian  affairs  in  some  way 
engrossed  a  large  share  of  the  attention  of  the 
pioneers.  Important  treaties  were  held  here, 
notably  in  1825  and  1829.  For  a  number  of 
years  the  Winnebagoes  assembled  here  annual- 
ly, to  receive  their  payments.  One  of  the  most 
tragical  events  of  the  Winnebago  war  occurred 
near  here,  as  explained  in  another  chapter ; 
and  the  closing  incidents  of  that  brief  season  of 
hostile  acts  were  upon  the  "prairie."  During 
the  Black  Hawk  War,  in  1832,  Prairie  du  Chien 
was  an  important  point  of  operations  for  the 
Americans,  as  is  fully  shown  in  another  portion 
of  this  historv. 


TREATIES     WITH  THE    SAC    AND  FOX  INDIANS  AND 
THE    WINNEBAGOES. 

Twelve  treaties  were  held  at  different  times 
between  the  United  States  and  the  Sac  and  Fox 
Indians  and  the  Winnebagoes,  affecting,  im- 
mediately or  remotely,  the  territory  now  in- 
cluded within  the  limits  of  Crawford  county,  as 
follows  : 

1.  A  treaty  was  held  at  St.  Louis,  Nov.  .3, 
1804,  between  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  and  the 
United  States.  William  Henry  Harrison  was 
acting  commissioner  on  tiie  part  of  the  govern- 
ment. By  the  provisions  of  the  treaty,  the 
chiefs  and  head  men  of  the  united  tribes  ceded 
to  the  United  States  a  large  tract  on  both  sides 
of  the  .Mississippi,  extending  on  the  east  from 
tlie  mouth  of  the  Illinois  to  the  head  of  that 
river,  and  thence  to  the  Wisconsin,  and  inclu- 
ding on  the  west  considerable  portions  of  Iowa 
and  Missouri,  from  the  mouth  of  the  Gasconade 
northward.  In  what  is  now  the  State  of  Wis- 
consin, this  grant  embraced  the  whole  of  the 
present  counties  of  Grant  and  Lafayette  and  a 
large  piortion  of  Iowa  and  Green  counties.  The 
lead  region  was  included  in  this  purchase.  In 
consideration  of  this  cession,  the  general  gov- 
ernment agreed  to  protect  the  tribes  in  the  quiet 
enjoyment  of  their  land,  against  its  own  citi- 
zens and  all  others  who  should  intrude  on  them. 
The  tribes  permitted  a  fort  to  be  built  on  the 
upper  side  of  the  Wisconsin  river  near  its 
mouth,  and  granted  a  tract  of  land  two  miles 
square  adjoining  the  same.  Tlie  government 
agreed  to  give  them  an  annuity  of  $1,000  per 
annum.  The  validity  of  this  treaty  was  denied 
by  one  band  of  Sac  Indians,  and  this  cession  of 
land  became,  twenty-eight  years  after,  the 
alleged  cause  of  the  Black  Hawk  War. 

2.  Another  treaty  was  held  at  Portage  des 
Sioux,  now  a  village  in  St.  Charles  Co.,  Mo.,  on 
the  Mississippi  river,  Sept.  13,  1815,  with  cer- 
tain chiefs  of  that  portion  of  the  Sac  Nation 
then  residing  in  Missouri,  who,  they  said,  were 
compelled  since  the  commencement  of  the  late 
war,   to  separate   themselves   from  the  rest  of 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


109 


their  Nation.  They  gave  their  assent  to  the 
treaty  made  at  St.  Louis  in  1804,  and  prom- 
ised to  remain  separate  from  the  Sacs  of  Rock 
river,  and  to  give  them  no  aid  or  assistance, 
until  peace  should  be  concluded  between  the 
United  States  and  the  Foxes  of  Rock  river. 

3.  On  the  14th  of  September  a  treaty  was 
made  with  tlip  cliiefs  of  the  Fox  tribe,  at  the 
same  ])'ace.  They  agreed  that  all  prisoners  in 
their  hands  should  be  delivered  up  to  the  gov- 
oinraent.  They  assented  to,  recognized,  re-es- 
tablished and  confirmed  the  treaty  of  1804  to 
tlie  full  extent  of  their  interest  in  the  same. 

4.  A  treaty  was  held  at  St.  Louis,  May  13, 
18i6,  with  the  Sacs  of  Rock  river,  who  affirmed 
the  treaty  of  1804,  and  agreed  to  deliver  up  all 
the  property  stolen  or  plundered,  and  in  failure 
to  do  so,  to  forfeit  all  title  to  their  annuities. 
To  this  treaty  Black  Hawk's  name  appears  with 
others.  That  chief  afterward  affirmed  that 
though  he  himself  had  "touched  the  quill"  to 
this  treaty,  he  knew  not  what  he  was  signing, 
and  that  he  was  therein  deceived  by  the  agent 
and  others,  who  did  not  correctly  explain  the 
nature  of  the  grant;  and  in  reference  to  the 
treaty  of  St.  Louis  in  1  8U4,  and  at  Portage  des 
Sioux  in  1815,  he  said  he  did  not  consider  the 
same  valid  or  binding  on  him  or  his  tribe,  inas- 
much as  the  terms  of  those  treaties,  territory 
was  desorihi'd  which  the  Indians  never  intended 
to  sell,  and  tiie  treaty  of  1804,  particiilarlj^  was 
m.ade  by  parties  who  had  neither  authority  in 
the  Nation  nor  power  to  dispose  of  its  lands. 
Wliether  this  was  a  true  statement  of  the  case 
or  otherwise,  it  is  (luite  certain  that  the  grant 
of  lands  referred  to  was  often  eontirnied  by  his 
Nation,  and  was  deemed  conclusive  and  bind- 
ing by  tlie  government.  The  latter  acted  in 
good  faith  to  the  tribes,  as  well  as  to  the 
settlers,  in  the  disposition  of  the  lands. 

5.  A  treaty  of  peace  and  friendship  was 
made  at  St.  Louis,  June  .3,  1816,  between  the 
ciiiefs  and  warriors  of  that  part  of  the  ^Vinne- 
bagiies  rosiiling  on  the  Wisconsin  river.  In 
this  treaty   the   tribe  state  that  they  have  sepa- 


rated themselves  from  the  rest  of  their  Nation; 
that  they,  for  themselves  and  those  they  repre- 
sent, confirm  to  Vie  United  States  all  and  every 
cession  of  land  heretofore  made  by  their  Nation, 
and  every  contract  and  agreement,  as  far  as 
their  interest  extended. 

6.  On  the  19th  of  August,  1825,  at  Prairie 
du  Chien,  a  treaty  was  made  with  the  Sioux, 
Chippewas,  Sacs  and  Foxes,  Winnebagoes,  Ot- 
tawas  and  Pottawattamies,  by  which  the 
boundary  between  the  two  first  Nations  was 
agreed  upon;  also  between  the  Chippewas, 
Winnebagoes  and  other  tribes. 

7.  Another  treaty  was  held  Aug.  5,  1^26, 
at  Fond  du  Lac  of  Lake  Superior,  a  small  settle- 
ment on  the  St.  Louis  river,  in  Itasca  Co.,  Minn., 
with  the  same  tribes,  by  which  the  previous 
treaty  was  confirmed  in  respect  to  boundaries, 
and  those  of  the  Chippewas  was  defined,  as  a 
portion  of  the  same  was  not  completed  at  the 
former  treaty. 

8.  A  treaty  was  made  and  concluded  Aug. 
1,  1827,  at  Butte  des  Morts,  between  the  United 
States  and  the  Chippewa,  Menomonee  and 
Winnebago  tribes,  in  which  the  boundaries  of 
their  tribes  were  defined;  no  cession  of  lands 
was  made. 

9.  A  treaty  w'as  made  at  Green  Bay,  Aug. 
25,  1828, with  the  Winnebagoes,  Pottawattamies 
and  other  tribes.  This  treaty  was  made  to  re- 
move the  difficulties  which  had  arisen  in  con- 
sequence of  the  occupation  by  white  men  of 
that  portion  of  the  mining  country  in  the  south- 
western part  of  Wisconsin  wliicii  had  not  been 
ceded  to  the  United  States.  A  provisional 
boundary  was  provided,  and  privileges  accorded 
the  government  to  freely  occupy  their  territory 
until  a  treaty  should  be  made  for  the  cession  of 
the  same.  This  treaty  was  simply  to  define  the 
rights  of  the  Indians,  and  to  give  the  United 
States  the  right  of  occupation. 

10.  Two  treaties  were  made  at  Prairie  du 
Chien  on  the  29th  of  July,  1829,  and  Aug.  1, 
1829.  At  the  first  date,  with  the  Chippewas, 
Ottawas  and   Pottawattamies,  by    which  these 


110 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


Nations  ceded  all  tlieir  lands  which  they  claimed 
in  the  northwestern  part  of  Illinois;  and  at  the 
latter  date  with  the  Winnebagoes,  by  which 
that  Nation  ceded  and  relinquished  all  their 
right,  title  and  claim  to  all  their  lands  south  of 
the  Wisconsin  river,  thus  confirming  the  pur- 
chase of  the  lead-mine  region.  Certain  grants 
were  made  to  individuals,  which  grants  were 
not  to  be  leased  or  sold  by  the  grantees. 

By  this  important  treaty,  about  8,00C,000 
acres  of  land  were  added  to  the  public  domain. 
The  three  tracts  ceded,  and  forming  one  whole, 
extended  from  the  upper  end  of  Rock  river  to 
the  mouth  of  the  Wisconsin,  from  latitnde  41 
degrees  .30  minutes  to  latitude  43  degrees  ]  n 
minutes  on  the  Mississippi  Following  the 
meanderings  of  the  river,  it  was  about  240 
miles  from  west  to  east,  extending  along  the 
Wisconsin  and  Fox  rivers,  affording  a  passage 
across  the  country  from  the  Mississippi  to  Lake 
Michigan.  The  south  part  of  the  purchase  ex- 
tended from  Rock  Island  to  Lake  Michigan. 

11.  At  the  conclusion  of  the  Black  Hawk 
War,  in  1832,  for  the  purpose  of  clearing  up  the 
Indian  title  of  the  Winnebago  Nation  in  the 
country,  a  treaty  was  made  and  concluded  at 
Fort  Armstrong,  Sept.  15,  1832.  All  the  terri- 
tory claimed  by  this  Nation  lying  south  and 
east  of  the  Wisconsin  and  Fox  rivers  of  Green 
bay,  was  ceded  to  the  United  States,  and  no 
band  or  party  of  Winnebagoes  was  allowed  to 
reside,  plant,  fish  or  hunt  on  these  grounds, 
after  June  1,  1833,  or  on  any  part  of  the  country 
tlierein  ceded. 


12.  The  Winnebago  Nation,  by  the  chiefs 
and  delegates,  held  a  treaty  with  the  govern- 
ment at  Washington,  Nov.  1,  1S37.  Tliat 
Nation  ceded  all  their  lands  east  of  the  Missis- 
sippi, and  obligated  themselves  to  remove, 
within  eight  months  after  the  ratification  of  the 
treaty,  to  certain  lauds  west  of   the  Mississippi 


which   were  conveyed  to    them  by    the   treaty 
of  Sept.  21,  1832. 

A  SEQUAL  TO  THE  GREAT  INDIAN  TREATY  OF   1829. 
[By  Caleb  Atwater.] 

On  the  day  we  delivered  the  goods  to  the 
Winnebagoes,  after  the  Indians  were  all  seated 
on  the  ground  in  rows,  the  chiefs  on  the  highest 
spot  in  the  center,  on  benches,  clothed  in  the 
most  sumptuous  manner;  where  they  could  see 
and  be  seen  to  the  best  advantage;  every  tribe 
by  itself;  the  half-breeds  in  one  place,  the  full 
whites  in  another.  As  I  passed  through  the 
open  spaces  between  the  ranks,  my  attention 
was  forcibly  drawn  to  a  particular  spot  by  a 
constant  snarling,  hissing  noise  of  some  miser- 
able human  beintr,  whom,  on  approaching 
I  ascertained  to  be  an  Indian  woman,  shriveled, 
haggard  and  old,  though  remarkably  neat  in 
her  person  and  dress.  She  appeared  to  be 
about  sixty  years  of  age,  and  scolded  inces- 
santly. Some  of  the  goods  placed  before  her,  as 
her  share  of  them,  she  complained  of  as  being 
too  fine;  others  as  being  too  coarse;  some  cost 
too  much,  while  others  were  quite  too  cheap, 
and  none  of  them  seemed  to  please  her.  Wish- 
ing, if  possible,  to  please  all  of  them,  and 
especially  the  ladies;  actuated  by  tiie  best  of 
motives,  I  endeavored  by  every  argument  in  my 
power  to  satisfy  her,  that  so  far  as  I  could  do 
anything  towards  it,  great  care  had  been  taken 
in  the  distribution  to  do  justice  to  every  indi- 
vidual. I  told  her  that  her  great  father,  the 
President,  had  specially  ordered  me,  so  far  as 
in  me  lay,  to  please  all,  and  to  see  that  none 
went  home  dissatisfied.  At  that  moment  she 
returned  upon  me  a  volley  of  epithets  too  de- 
grading to  be  repeated,  even  though  applied  to 
myself,  as  I  felt  conscious  of  not  deserving 
them.  Turning  around  to  some  females  who 
were  politely  sitting  on  the  ground  behind  me 
I  learned  the  fault  finder  teas  an  old  maid,  (un- 
married men  at  sixty  years  of  age  I  will  call 
bachelors,  but  ladies  never),  and  that  the  only 
distinguishing  mark  of   attention  she  had  ever 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


Ill 


received  from  any  man  was  a  smart  blow  with 
a  flat  hand  on  lier  right  ear. 

As  there  is  no  law  regulatingtaste,  and  some- 
times no  rational  way  of  accounting  for  some 
of  its  freaks;  and  as  some  sights  are  the  aver- 
sion of  some  persons,  while  the  appearance  of 
other  objects  is  equally  disagreeable  to  others; 
and  as  I  never  could  endure  the  ideas  conveyed 
to  raj-  mind  by  a  rattlesnake,  a  heartless  politi- 
cioii,  an  iceberg  and  a  cold-hearted  woman,  I 
turned  away  from  lier  in  disgust,  and  never  saw 
her  more  nor  inquired  her  name,  for  fear  I 
should  remember  it.  She  was  the  only  person 
who  left  the  treaty  ground  dissatisfied  with  the 
commissioners.  To  please  her  it  was  utterly 
impossible. 

Seated,  as  I  said,  upon  rising  ground  on 
benches,  clad  in  blankets,  eitiier  red  or  green; 
covered  with  handsome  fur  hats,  with  three 
l^eautiful  ostriuii  plumes  in  each  hat;  dressed 
in  ruffled  calico  shirts,  leggins  and  moccasins, 
all  new,  and  faces  painted  to  suit  the  fancy  of 
each  individual,  who  held  in  his  hand  a  new 
ritie,  adorned  too,  with  silver  brooches,  silver 
clasps  on  every  arm,  and  a  large  medal  sus- 
pended on  each  breast;  the  chiefs,  principal 
warriors  and  head  men,  to  the  number  of  forty- 
two,  sat  during  the  two  hours  after  all  the 
goods  had  been  delivered  to  the  Nation. 

Every  individual  of  both  sexes  in  the  Nation 
had  iyitig  directly  before  the  person  on  the 
ground  the  share  of  the  goods  belonging  to  the 
individual.  Great  pains  had  been  taken  to 
give  each,  such,  and  just  so  many  clothes  as 
would  be  suitable  for  the  owner  to  wear  during 
the  year  to  come.  The  clothes  were  cut  so  as 
to  correspond  exactly  with  the  sPze  of  the 
owner.  The  pile  of  clothes  for  each  person 
was  nearly  two  feet  in  thickness,  the  sight  of 
which  entirely  overcame  with  joy  our  red 
friends,  and  tliey  sat,  during  two  hours,  in  the 
most  profound  silence,  not  taking  off  their  eyes 
one  moment  from  the  goods,  now  their  own. 
For  ilie  first  time  during  my  constant  inter- 
course of   several  weeks  with  these  interesting 


sons  and  daughters  of  the  forest,  as  I  passed  re- 
peatedly through  their  ranks,  not  an  eye  ap- 
peared to  see  me,  not  an  ear  to  hear  my  heavy 
tread,  not  a  tongue,  as  always  heretofore,  re- 
peated the  endearing  name  of  "Oconee  Kairake," 
(the  good  chief),  which  their  kind  partiality 
had  given  me  on  my  first  landing  at  Prairie 
du  Chien.  Their  minds  were  entirely  over- 
come with  joy. 

The  day  being  far  spent,  and,  as  the  landing 
of  the  canoes,  in  which  they  were  about  to  de- 
part, would  necessarily  occupy  some  little  time, 
I  informed  the  chiefs  and  principal  men  that 
the  time  had  arrived  when  we  should  part  to  meet 
no  more;  that  the  great  gun  at  the  fort  would 
soon  be  fired  to  do  them  honor.  With  one  ac- 
cord they  all  arose,  and  shaking  me  heartily  by 
the  hand,  many  of  them  shedding  tears  on  the 
occasion,  they  one  and  all  invited  me  to  visit 
them  at  their  respective  places  of  abode.  In 
a  shrill  tone  of  voice  Nankaw  issued  his  orders 
for  every  individual  to  arise,  take  up  his  or  her 
goods,  and  repair  to  the  beach  of  the  river  near 
at  hand,  and  there  await  the  signal  from  the 
fort  for  their  embark  ition. 

In  fifteen  minutes  they  were  all  seated  on  the 
sands  by  the  river's  edge,  where  they  all  sat  in 
breathless  silence  awaiting  the  signal,  which 
was  soon  given.  As  soon  as  that  was  given 
each  chief  came  forward,  shook  me  again  cor- 
dially by  the  hand,  accompanied  l)y  the  warm- 
est protestations  of  friendship.  In  a  few  mo- 
ments more  they  were  off,  covering  a  consider- 
able surface  with  their  canoes,  eacii  one  of 
which  carried  its  flag  of  some  sort  floating  in 
the  gentle  breeze,  which  ruffled  the  surface  of 
the  Mississippi. 

The  Chippewas,  Ottawas  and  Pottawatta- 
mies  had  received  their  goods  in  the  same  man- 
ner as  the  Winnebagoes;  had  been  treated  pre- 
cisely in  the  same  way,  and  three  guns,  one  for 
each  Nation,  had  given  them  signal  to  depart, 
and  they  had  parted  with  me  Iti  the  same  kind 
and  affectionate  manner. 


112 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


After  the  departure  of  the  above  named  In- 
dians, we  had  the  Sanks  and  Foxes  still  with 
us,  with  whom  we  had  orders  to  hold  a  council 
to  ascertain  from  them  "if  they  would  sell  their 
mineral  lands,  situated  west  of  the  Mississippi?" 
— and  if  they  would  sell  them,  upon  what 
terms?" 

Gen.  M'Neil,  who  was  in  command  as  a  mili- 
tary officer  in  this  section  of  country,  addressed 
these  tribes  and  was  answered  by  Keokuk  on 
the  part  of  the  Sauks,  and  by  Morgan  for  the 
Foxes.  I  regret  that  the  injunction  of  secrecy 
rests  on  these  speeches  in  the  United  States 
Senate;  otherwise  I  should  take  great  pleasure 
in  laying  them  before  the  reader.  Keokuk,  in 
particular,  made  one  of  the  best  speeches  I  ever 
heard,  and  it  was  admired  as  such  by  several 
members  of  the  Senate.  Keokuk,  on  the  part 
of  these  Indians,  complained  to  us  of  certain 
white  men  who  hid  settled  on  the  Indian  lands 
along  the  Mississippi  in  order  to  supply  per- 
sons navigating  the  river  with  necessaries,  such 
as  poultry,  milk,  butter,  eggs,  and  above  all, 
cordwood  for  the  ste-imboats.  He  complained 
that  the  United  States  had  cultivated  lands  as  a 
garden  for  the  garrison  at  Prairie  du  Chien — 
had  erected  a  mill  without  leave,  on  Indian  land 
— and  had  not  fulfilled  former  treaties  with 
them. 

Making  them  liberal  presents,  we  naturally 
deferred  the  whole  subject  in  discussion  for  the 
consideration  of  the  government  of  the  United 
States  to  act  on  it ;  and  I  take  pleasure  in  say- 
ing the  government  has,  since  that  time,  done 
its  duty  to  these  sons  of  the  forest. 

After  arranging  all  matters  with  them  as  well 
as  we  could,  which  occupied  several  days,  they 
were  dismissed  in  a  very  friendly  manner,  as 
all  other  Indians  had  been  already,  and  they 
immediately  descended  the  river  for  their 
homes. 

Before  leaving  this  place  I  wish  to  make  a 
few  remarks  of  a  general  nature. 

Though  I  neither  am,  nor  ever  pretended  tj 
be  a  military  man,  yet  I  venture  a  few  remarks 


on  some  of  the  military  establishments  in  the 
northwest. 

The  fort  on  Rock  Island  is  commanded  by 
hills  on  both  sides  of  it,  and  could  not  stand  an 
hour  against  an  enemy  with  cannon  posted  on 
the  heights. 

VVhy  this  fort  was  placed  here  where  it  is,  no 
man  of  sense  can  tell,  if  the  British  were  to  be 
the  attacking  enemy.  If  this  work  was  intended 
to  protect  this  frontier  against  Indians  it  is 
in  so  dilapidated  a  state  that  by  crossing  on  the 
island  above  the  fort,  or  gliding  along  in  their 
canoes  under  the  western  side  of  the  island, 
which  forms  the  outside  of  the  fort,  the  Indians 
could  in  any  dark  night  make  themselves  mas- 
ters of  the  garrison  in  fifteen  minutes.  When- 
ever they  please  they  can  collect  at  this  point 
in  ten  days  4,000  warriors,  to  contend  with  400 
soldiers.  There  is  no  regular  mail  connecting 
this  post  with  the  United  States,  and  war  might 
be  declared  for  three  months,  in  some  seasons 
of  the  year,  without  the  garrison's  knowing  it. 

There  is  a  postoffice  established  here,  and  in 
summer  the  officers  sometimes  go  to  Galena  for 
their  papers  and  letters,  100  miles  above  them 
— and  sometimes  they  go  to  Springfield,  in  the 
Sangarao  country,  a  distance  of  seventy  miles 
perhaps,  for  their  letters.  The  officers  must  go 
themselves,  as  the  soldiers,  if  permitted  to  go, 
would  desert  the  service.  Cut  off  from  all  the 
world,  that  is,  the  civilized  world,  during  six 
months  of  the  year,  the  officers  and  soldiers 
lead  a  life  as  dull  as  need  be.  The  officers 
who  have  families  have  established  a  school  for 
their  children,  which  is  doing  very  well. 

Ascending  the  Mississippi,  200  miles  or  more 
above  Rock. Island,  we  arrive  at  Fort  Crawford, 
at  Prairie  du  Chien.  This  post  like  that  at 
Rock  Island,  stands  near  the  Mississippi  on  its 
eastern  shore,  and  is  entirely  and  completely 
commanded  by  the  hills  on  each  side  of  the 
river.  It  enjoys,  too,  a  situation  so  low  that 
nearly  every  summer,  during  the  dog  days,  its 
site  is  under  water  from  six  to  ten  feet  in  depth, 
from  the  overflowing  of  the  river. 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


113 


This  work  is  in  so  dilapidated  a  state  that  I 
presume  it  is  now  abandoned  for  another  site 
somewhat  more  elfcvattd  but  nearer  the  high 
hill  that  will  forever  command  it,  just  east  of 
it.  Maj.  Garland  pointed  out  to  me  the  spot 
where  he  supposed  a  nnw  fort  would  be  erected. 

There  is  a  propriety  in  placing  a  military  post 
somewhere,  at  or  near  the  mout  i  of  the  Wis- 
consin, in  order  to  form  a  line  of  posts  situated 
on  Green  bay,  where  there  is  a  fort-  and  in  the 
interior,  at  the  spot  where  Fort  Winnebago  is; 
but  what  consideration  could  have  induced  tlie 
government  to  place  a  garrison  at  St.  Peters, 
300  miles  and  more  beyond  a  single  wliite  set- 
tlement— unconnected,  too,  with  any  other  post 
in  the  very  heart  of  the  Indian  country,  I  am 
unable  to  determine.  If  this  post  was  intended 
to  strengthen  tliis  frontier,  it  certainly  weakens 
it  to  the  amount  of  the  force  stationed  there 
added  to  an  amount  of  force  enough  to  succor 
and  defend  it.  If  the  object  was  to  station  a 
garrison  where  an  intercourse  with  the  Indians, 
for  the  purposes  of  trade,  was  sought,  Lake 
Pepin,  far  below  it,  is  tlie  place  where  it  should 
have  been  located.  As  it  is,  it  so  happens  often 
that  the  officers  and  others  who  pass  and  repass 
between  Prairie  du  Ciucn  and  St.  Peters  are 
t.iken  prisoners  on  the  route  by  tiiu  In<Iians. 
Unless  some  one  wished  to  get  a  good  govern- 
mental job  by  getting  this  post  established, 
tlu'ii  I  cannot  account  for  this  strange  location, 
and  I  am  equally  at  a  loss  to  account  fur  the 
continuance  of  this  worse  than  useless  establish- 
ment where  it  is. 

All  the  ofKcers  in  the  Indian  country,  who 
have  been  there  ten  years,  ought  instantly  to  be 
relieved  by  others.  Lieut.  Col.  Z.  Taylor,  has 
been  in  the  Indian  country  constantly  with  his 
family,  about  twenty  years.  Here  he  and  his 
lady,  wlio  were  bred  in  the  most  polished  and 
rofiued  sot'iciy,  have  been  compelled  to  rear,  as 
well  as  they  could,  a  worthy  and  most  interest- 
ing family  of  children.  Col.  Taylor  commands 
Fort  Crawford,  at  Prairie  du  Chien.  Dr.  IJeau- 
mont  and  his  amiable  and  accomplished  lady; 


Maj.  Garland  and  his,  belonging  to  this  garri- 
son, are  doing  tlie  same.  It  is  an  interesting 
sight,  to  see  such  persons,  located  as  they  are, 
in  a  fort,  on  the  very  verge  of  civilized  life, 
educating  a  family  of  young  children.  The  sit- 
uation of  delicate  females,  belonging  to  some 
of  the  best  families  in  the  Nation,  reared  in 
tenderness,  amidst  all  the  luxuries  and  refine- 
ments of  polished  society,  now  living  in  a  fort, 
calls  for  our  sympathy  and  admiration  of  their 
fortitude,  which  enables  them  to  bear  with  all 
the  ills,  and  overcome  all  the  difficulties  attend- 
ant on  their  mode  of  living.  When  i  was  very 
unwell,  from  exposure,  miserable  water,  and  the 
worst  of  cookery,  and  worn  down  too  by  fatigue 
of  body  and  mental  suffering,  I  always  found 
sympathy,  food  that  I  could  eat,  and  smiles 
and  kindness  wliicii  touched  my  heart,  in  the 
families  I  have  named,  nor  can  I  ever  forget  the 
females  belonging  to  the  families  of  Mr.  Rolette 
and  of  Judge  Lockwood,  at  Prairie  du  Chien. 
Without  their  kindness  towards  me,  I  must 
have  perished.  I  do  not  deny  my  fondness  for 
woman,  because  I  know  that  in  cases  of  distress 
and  suffering,  her  sympathy  and  cheering  voice, 
infuses  into  man  new  life,  new  vigor,  and  new 
fortitude,  and  he  marches  onward  with  redoub- 
led energy,  to  climb  over  every  alps  that  is 
placed  in  his  way.  Living,  as  these  ladies  do, 
amidst  dangers,  in  an  Indian  country,  they  are 
familiarized  with  them  and  their  animating 
voice  is  worth  an  army  of  men.  I  never  can 
forget  them,  nor  their  families  while  I  live. 
Would  the  government  hear  my  feeble  voice, 
such  officers  would  not  be  compelled,  witli  their 
families,  to  spend  all  their  days,  in  an  Indian 
country,  while  others  who  have  known  no  suf- 
fering in  the  s  rvice,  are  attending  levees  and 
gallanting  about  the  ladies  at  Washington  City. 

There  is  something  wrong  in  all  this,  that  I 
hope  will  be  rectified  yet. 

At  each  of  the  military  posts,  the  officers  liave 
established  a  library  and  a  reading  room,  at 
their  own  expense.  Their  books  consist  of 
useful    works,   connected    with    their   pursuits. 


114 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


History,  geography,  mathematics,  chemistry 
and  scientific  books,  are  in  the  library,  and  tlie 
officers  and  their  families  are  well  read  in  them 
all.  Though  they  may  be  uninformed  as  to  the 
passing  events,  at  the  very  moment  they  occur, 
yet,  at  unequal  periods,  their  regular  files  of  all 
the  best  newspapers  published  in  the  United 
States,  are  received  and  read  with  care.  The 
Natirmal  Intelligencer,  National  Gazette,  all  the 
literary  periodicals,  worth  reading,  are  carefully 
perused 

The  younger  officers  were  all  educated  at 
West  Point  Academy,  and  whenever  I  met  one 
of  them,  I  always  found  a  gentleman,  and  man 
of  science,  brave,  active,  vigorous,  energetic, 
high  minded,  honorable,  strictly  honest  and 
correct  in  all  his  deportment.  He  claimed  all 
that  belonged  to  him,  and  not  one  tittle  more, 
of  any  one.  These  officers,  belonging  to  the 
first  families  in  the  Nation,  educated  in  the 
very  best  manner,  are  induced  by  their  self  re- 
spect, to  conduct  themselves  in  the  very  best 
manner  on  all  occasions.  They  fear  nothing 
but  disgrace,  originating  in  their  own  bad  con- 
duct, and  they  scrupulously  avoid  it  everywhere, 
and  at  all  times.  As  officers,  as  gentlemen  and 
as  men,  I  feel  proud  of  them  as  my  countrymen. 

I  pray  them  to  accept  tliis  testimony  in  their 
favor,  as  a  small  payment  towards  a  large  sum, 
justly  due  to  them  for  their  good  conduct  in 
every  part  of  the  Union  where  I  have  had  the 
pleasure  of  meeting  with  them.  My  only  re- 
gret is,  that  this  honest,  heartfelt  approbation 
of  them  is  all  I  have  it  in  my  power  to  bestow 
upon  persons  so  worthy.  Those  who  are  in 
actual  service  on  the  Indian  frontier,  deserve 
moie  pay  than  they  receive,  in  a  country  where 
everything  is  so  e.\;travagantly  dear.  Congress 
ought  to  remember  these  worthy  men,  and  make 
future  provision  for  tiiem,  and  to  Congress  I 
submit  their  case.  While  those  who  shine  in 
every  fashionable  circle  at  Washington,  under 
the  eye  of  Congress,  are  well  paid  for  their  ser- 
vices, it  is  to  be  hoped  that  others,  who  undergo 


nothing  but  hardships,  will  not  be  forgotten,  as 
I  know  they  will  not  be  by  the  Senate. 

Having  completed  all  our  business  of  a  public 
nature,  so  far  as  we  could  at  this  place,  about 
the  middle  of  August,  as  near  as  I  now  remem- 
ber, we  concluded  to  give  our  friends  here  a 
ball  on  the  evening  preceding  our  leaving  them. 
It  was  attended  by  all  of  the  respectable  part  of 
the  people  in  the  garrison  and  in  the  village. 
It  was  a  most  interesting  scene.  Within  the 
council  house,  where  the  civilized  people  were 
assembled,  might  be  seen  persons  of  both  sexes, 
as  polished  and  as  refined  in  their  manners,  as 
well  bred,  and  educated  as  well  too,  as  any  per- 
son in  the  United  States;  and  at  the  same 
moment  might  be  seen  on  the  outside  of  the 
house,  at  the  doors  and  windows,  looking  on 
and  occasionally  dancing  by  themselves,  by  way 
of  experiment,  or  to  show  what  they  could  do 
as  dancers  in  the  open  air,  as  motley  a  group  of 
creatures,  (I  can  scarcely  call  them  human  be- 
ings) as  the  world  ever  beheld.  They  are  a 
race  peculiar  to  those  parts  of  the  upper  Missis- 
sippi, where  settlements  were  originally  made 
by  the  French,  soon  after  the  conquest  of 
Canada  by  the  English,  under  Gen.  Wolf.  They 
are  of  a  mixed  breed,  and  |)robably  moie  mixed 
than  any  other  human  beings  in  the  world; 
each  one  consisting  of  negro,  Indian,  French, 
English,  American,  Scotch,  Irish  and  Spanisli 
blood;  and  I  should  rather  suspect  some  of 
them  to  be  a  little  touched  with  the  prairie 
wolf.  They  may  fairly  claim  the  vices  and 
faults  of  each  and  all  the  above  named  Nations 
and  animals,  without  even  one  redeeming  virtue. 

The  reader  will  see  that  we  were  on  the  very 
confines  of  civilized  and  savage  life. 

The   officers    and    their   families    from     Fort 

Crawford,  and  the  best  families  in  the  Prairie, 

were  all  very  happy,  and  we  parted    with   them 

all  in  friendship,  and  retired  to  rest  at  about 
midnight. 

INDIANS    UPON    THE    MISSISSIPPI    IN    1825. 
(By  Schoolcraft.) 

We  fina'ly  left  Mackinack  for  our  destination 
on  the   Mississippi,  on    the   1st   of  Jaly.     The 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


115 


convocation  to  which  we  were  now  proceeding, 
was  for  the  purpose  of  settling  internal  dis- 
putes between  the  tribes,  by  fixing  the  bounda- 
ries to  their  respective  territories,  and  thus  lay- 
ing the  foundation  of  a  lasting  peace  on  the 
frontiers.  And  it  marks  an  era  in  the  policy 
of  our  negotiations  with  the  Indians,  which  is 
memor.able.  No  such  gathering  of  the  tribes 
had  ever  before  occurred,  and  its  results  have 
taken  away  the  necesssity  of  any  in  future,  so 
far  as  relates  to  the  lines  on  the  Mississippi. 

We  encountered  head  winds,  and  met  with 
some  delay  in  passing  through  the  straits  into 
Lake  Michigan,  and  after  escaping  an  immi- 
nent hazard  or  being  off  into  the  open  lake 
in  a  fog,  reached  Green  Bay  on  the  4th.  The 
journey  up  the  Fox  river,  and  its  numerous 
portages,  was  resumed  on  the  14th,  and  after 
having  ascended  the  river  to  its  head,  we 
crossed  over  the  Fox  and  Wisconsin  portage, 
and  descending  the  latter  with  safety,  reached 
Prairie  du  Cliien  on  the  21st,  making  the  whole 
journey  from  Mackinackin  twenty-one  days. 

We  found  a  very  large  number  of  various 
tribes  assembled.  Not  only  tlie  village,  but 
the  entire  banks  of  the  river  for  miles  above 
and  below  the  town,  and  the  island  in  the 
river,  was  covered  with  their  tents.  Tiie  I)a- 
kolahs,  with  their  high-pointed  buffalo  skin 
tents,  above  the  town,  and  their  decorations 
and  implements  of  flags,  feathers,  skins  and 
personal  "braveries,"  presented  the  scene  of 
Bedouin  encampment. 

Wanila,  the  Yankton  chief,  had  a  most  mag- 
nificent robe  of  the  buffalo,  curiously  worked 
with  dyed  porcupine's  quills  and  sweet  grass, 
a  kind  of  war  flag,  made  of  eagles' and  vultures' 
large  feathers,  presented  quite  a  martial  air. 
War  clubs  and  lances  presented  almost  every 
iniaginabie  device  of  paint,  but  by  far  the  most 
elaborate  thing  was  their  pipes  of  red  stone, 
curiously  carved,  and  having  flat  wooden  handles 
of  some  fpur  feet  in  length,  ornamented  with 
the  scalps  of  the  red-headed  woodpecker  and 
male  duck,  and  the  tail  feathers   of  birds  artifi- 


cially attached  by  strings  and  quill  work,  so  as 
to  hang  in  the  figure  of  a  quadrant.  But  the 
most  elaborately  wrought  part  of  the  devices 
consisted  of  dyed  porcupine  quills,  arranged 
as  a  kind  of  aboriginal  mosaic. 

The  Winnebagoes,  who  speak  a  cognate  dia- 
lect of  the  Dacotah,  were  encamped  near  ;  and 
resembled  them  in  the  style  of  lodges,  arts  and 
general  decorations. 

The  Chippewas  presented  the  more  usually 
known  traits,  manners  and  customs  of  the  great 
Algonquin  family — of  whom  they  are  indeed 
the  best  representatives.  The  tall  and  warlike 
bands  from  the  sources  of  the  Mississippi — 
from  La  Point,  in  Lake  Superior — from  the  val- 
leys of  the  C'hi])pewa  and  St.  Croix  rivers,  and 
the  Rice  lake  reg  on  of  Lac  du  Flambeau,  and 
of  Sault  Sle.  Marie,  were  well  represented. 

The  cognate  tribe  of  the  JFcnomonees,  and 
Pottawattamies  and  Ottawas  from  Lake  Michi- 
gan, assimilated  and  mingled  with  the  C'hippe- 
was.  Some  of  the  Iroquois  of  Green  Bay  were 
present. 

But  no  tribes  attracted  as  intense  a  degree  of 
interest  as  the  lowas,  and  the  Sac  and  Foxes — 
tribes  of  radically  diverse  lang\iages,  yet  united 
in  a  league  against  the  Sioux.  These  tribes 
were  encamped  on  the  island,  or  opposite  coast. 
They  came  to  the  treaty  ground,  armed  and 
dressed  as  a  war  party.  They  were  all  armed 
with  spears,  clubs,  guns  and  knives.  Many  of 
the  warriors  had  a  long  tuft  of  red  horse  hair 
tied  at  their  elbows,  and  bore  a  necklace  of 
grizzly  bears'  claws.  Their  head  dress  con- 
sisted of  red-dyed  horsehair,  tied  in  such  man- 
ner to  the  scalp  lock  as  to  present  the  shape  of 
the  decoration  of  a  Roman  lielmet.  The  rest 
of  the  head  was  completely  shaved  and  painted. 
A  long  iron  shod  lance  was  carried  in  the  hand. 
A  species  of  baldric  supported  part  of  their 
arms.  The  azian,  moccasin  and  leggins  consti- 
tuted a  part  of  their  dress.  Tliey  were,  indeed, 
nearly  nude  and  painted.  Often  the  print  of 
a  hand  in  white  clay,  marked  the  back  or 
shoulders.     They  bore  flags  of  feathers.     'J'hey 


116 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


beat  drums.  They  uttered  yells  at  definite 
points.  They  landed  in  compact  ranks.  They 
looked  the  very  spirit  of  defiance.  Their 
leader  stood  as  a  prince,  majestic  and  frowning. 
The  wild,  native  pride  of  man,  in  the  savage 
state  flushed  by  success  in  war,  and  confident 
in  the  strength  of  his^arm,  was  never  so  fully 
de])icted  to  my  eyes,  and  the  forest  tribes  of 
the  continent  may  be  challenged  to  have  ever 
presented  a  spectacle  of  bold  daring,  and  mar- 
tial prowess,  equal  to  their  landing. 

Their  martial  bearing,  their  high  tone,  and 
whole  behavior  during  their  stay  in  and  out  of 
council,  was  impressive,  and  demonstrated,  in 
an  eminent  degree,  to  what  a  high  pitch  of 
physical  and  moral  courage,  bravery  and  suc- 
cess in  war  may  lead  a  savage  people.  Keokuk, 
who  led  them,  stood  with  his  war  lance,  high 
crest  of  feathers,  and  daring  eye,  like  another 
Coriolanus,  and  when  he  spoke  in  council,  and 
at  the  same  time  shook  his  lance  at  his  enemies, 
the  Sioux,  it  was  evident  that  he  wanted  but  an 
opportunity  to  make  their  blood  flow  like 
water.  Wapelo,  and  other  chiefs  backed  him, 
and  the  whole  array,  with  their  shaved  heads 
and  high  crest  of  red  horse  hair,  told  the  s|)ec- 
tator  plainly,  that  each  of  these  men  held  his 
life  in  his  hand,  and  was  ready  to  spring  to  the 
work  of  slaughter  at  the  cry  of  their  chief. 

Gen.  William  Clark  from  St.  Louis,  was  asso- 
ciated with  Gen.  Cass  in  this  negotiation.  The 
great  object  was  to  lay  the  foundation  of  a  per- 
manent peace  by  establishing  boundaries.  Day 
after  day  was  assigned  to  this,  the  agents 
laboring  with  the  chiefs,  and  making  themselves 
familar  with  Indian  bark  maps  and  diawings. 
The  thing  pleased  the  Indians.  They  clearly 
saw  that  it  was  a  benevolent  effort  for  their 
good,  and  showed  a  hearly  mind  to  work  in  the 
attainment  of  the  object.  The  United  States 
asked  for  no  cession.  Many  glowing  harangues 
were  made  by  the  chiefs,  which  gave  scope  to 
thfir  peculiar  oratory,  which  is  well  worth  the 
preserving.  Mongazid,  of  Fond  du  Lac,  Lake 
Superior,  said:     "When    I   heard   the   voice  of 


my  Great  Father  coming  up  the  Mississippi 
valley  calling  me  to  this  treaty,  it  seemed  as  a 
murmuring  wind;  I  got  up  from  my  mat  where 
I  sat  musing,  and  hastened  to  obey  it.  My 
pathway  has  been  clear  and  bright.  Truly  it 
is  a  pleasant  sky  above  our  heads  this  day. 
There  is  not  a  cloud  to  darken  it.  I  hear  noth- 
ing but  pleasant  words  The  raven  is  not  wait- 
ing for  his  prey.  I  hear  no  eagle  cry,  come  let 
us  go.  The  feast  is  ready — the  Indian  has 
.killed  his  brother." 

When  nearly  a  whole  month  had  been  con- 
sumed in  these  negotiations,  a  treaty  of  limits 
was  signed,  which  will  long  be  remembered  in 
the  Indian  reminiscences.  This  was  on  the 
19th  of  August,  1825,  vide  Indian  Treaties  p. 
.371.  It  was  a  pleasing  sight  to  see  the  e.\i)lor- 
er  of  the  Columbia,  in  1S06,  and  the  writer  of 
the  proclamation  of  the  army  that  invaded 
Canada  in  1812,  uniting  in  a  task  boding  so 
much  good  to  the  tribes  whose  passions  and 
trespasses  on  each  others  lauds  kept  them  per- 
petually at  war. 

'Tis  war  alone  that  gluts  the  Iudiiin'»  mind, 
As  eating  meats,   inflames  the  tiger  kind. 

—Hute. 
At  the  close  of  the  treaty,  an  experiment  was 
made  on  the  moral  sense  of  the  Indians,  with 
regard  to  intoxicating  liquors,  which  was  evi- 
dently of  too  refined  a  char  icter  for  their  just 
appreciation.  It  had  been  said  by  the  tribes 
that  the  true  reason  for  the  commissioners  of 
the  United  States  government  sjieaking  against 
the  use  of  ardent  spirits  by  the  Indians,  and 
refusing  to  give  them,  was  not  a  sense  of  its 
bad  effects,  so  much,  as  the  fear  of  the  ex- 
pense. To  show  them  that  the  government  was 
above  such  a  petty  principle,  the  commissioner 
had  a  long  row  of  tin  camp  kettles,  holding  sev- 
eral gallons  each,  placed  on  the  grass,  from  one 
end  of  the  council  house  to  the  other,  and  then, 
after  some  suitable  remarks,  each  kettle  was 
spilled  out  ill  their  presence.  Th^  thing  was 
evidently  ill  relished  by  the  Indians.  They 
loved  the  whisky  better  than  the  joke. 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


117 


Impostor. — Among  the  books  which  I  pur- 
chased for  Gen.  Cass,  at  New  York,  was  the 
narrative  of  one  John  Dunn  Hunter.  I  remember 
being  introduced  to  the  man,  at  one  of  my  vis- 
its to  New  York,  by  Mf.  Carter.  He  appeared 
to  be  one  of  those  anomalous  persons  of  easy 
good  nature,  without  much  energy  or  will,  and 
little  or  no  moral  sense,  who  might  be  made  a 
tool  of  It  seems  no  one  in  New  York  was 
taken  in  by  him,  but  having  wandered  over  to 
London,  the  booksellers  found  him  a  good 
subject  for  a  book,  and  some  hack  there,  with 
considerable  cleverness,  made  him  a  pack-horse 
for  carrying  a  load  of  stuff  about  America's 
treatment  of  the  Indians.  It  was  called  a 
"captivity,"  and  he  was  made  to  play  the  part 
of  an  adventurer  among  the  Indians,  somewhat 
after  the  manner  of  John  Tanner.  Cass  re- 
viewed the  book  on  our  route  and  at  the  Prairie 
for  the  North  American,  in  an  article  which 
created  quite  a  sensation,  and  will  be  remem- 
bered for  its  force  and  eloquence.  He  first 
read  to  me  some  of  these  glowing  sentences 
while  on  the  portages  of  the  Fox.  It  was  con- 
tinued, during  the  leisure  hours  of  the  confer- 
ences, and  finally  the  critijue  was  finished, 
after  his  visiting  the  place  and  the  person,  in 
jMissouri,  to  which  Hunter  had  alluded  as  his 
sponsor  in  baptism.  The  man  denied  all 
knowle(lge  of  him.  Hunter  was  utterly  demol- 
isliid,  and  his  book  shown  to  be  as  great  a 
tissue  of  misrepresentation  as  that  of  Salmana- 
zar himself. 

August -2 1st  the  party  seiiarates.  I  had  de- 
termined to  return  to  the  Sault  by  way  of  Lake 
Superior,  through  Chippewa  river.  But,  owing 
to  the  murder  of  Finley  and  his  men  at  its 
mouth  in  1824,  I  found  it  impossible  to  engage 
men  at  Prairie  du  Chien,  to  take  that  route.  I 
determined,  therefore,  to  go  up  the  Wisconsin, 
and  by  the  way  of  Green  bay.  For  this  pur- 
pose, I  |)urchased  a  light  canoe,  engaged  men 
to  ])ad<lle  it,  and  laiil  in  provisions  and  stores 
to  last  to  Green  Bay.  Having  done  so,  I  em- 
barked about  3  o'clock  p.  M.,  descending  the  ma- 


jestic Mississippi,  witli  spirits  enlivened  by  the 
liope  of  soon  rejoining  friends  far  away.  At  the 
same  time,  Mr.  Holliday  left  for  the  same  des- 
tination, in  a  separate  canoe.  On  reaching  the 
mouth  of  the  Wisconsin,  we  entered  that  broad 
tributary,  and  found  the  current  strong.  We 
passed  the  point  of  rocks  called  Petit  Gris,  and 
encamped  at  Grand  Gris. 

Several  hours  previous  to  leaving  the  Prairie, 
a  friend  handed  me  an  enveloped  packet,  say- 
ing, "read  it  when  you  get  to  the  mouth  of  tlie 
Wisconsin."  I  had  no  conception  what  it  re- 
lated to,  hut  felt  great  anxiety  to  reach  the 
j)lace  mentioned.  I  then  opened  it,  and  read  as 
follows:  "I  cannot  separate  from  you  without 
expressing  my  grateful  acknowledgments  for 
the  honor  you  have  done  me,  by  connecting  my 
name  with  your  Narrative  of  Traveh  in  the  Ceti- 
tral  Portions  of  the  Mississippi  Valley,  e^c." 
Nothing  could  have  been  more  gratifying  or  un- 
expected. 

22d.  A  fog  in  the  valley  detained  us  till  5 
o'clock  A.  M.  After  traveling  about  two  hours, 
ilr.  Ilolliday's  canoe  was  crushed  against  a  rock. 
While  detained  in  repairing  it,  I  ordered  my 
cook  to  prepare  breakfast.  It  was  now  9  o'clock, 
when  we  again  proceeded,  till  the  heat  of  noon 
mul-h  afl^ected  the  men.  We  pusl)ed  our  canoes 
under  some  overhanging  trees,  where  we  found 
fine  clusters  of  ripe  grapes. 

In  going  forward,  we  passed  two  canoes  of 
Menomonees,  going  out  on  their  fall  hunt,  on 
the  Chippewa  river.  These  people  have  no 
hunting  grounds  of  their  own,  and  are  obliged 
to  the  courtesy  of  neighboring  Nations  for  a 
subsistence.  They  are  the  most  erratii-  of  all 
our  tribes,  and  may  be  said  to  be  almost  no- 
madic. We  had  already  jiassed  the  canoes, 
when  >[r.  Lewis,  the  portrait  i>ainter,  called 
out  stoutly  behind  us,  from  an  island  in  the 
river,  "OhI  ho!"  I  did  not  know  hut  there  was 
some  other  breaking  of  the  canoe,  or  worse  dis- 
aster, and  directed  the  men  to  put  hack.  "See, 
see,"  said  he,  "that  fellow's  imse  I  Dhl  you 
ever  see  such  a  protuberance"'"     It  was  one  of 


118 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


the  Menomonees  from  Sutte  des  Morts,  with  a 
globular  irregular  lump  on  the  end  of  his  nose, 
half  as  big  as  a  man's  fist.  Lewis'  artistic  risi- 
bles  were  at  their  height,  and  he  set  to  worlc  to 
draw  him.  I  could  think  of  nothing  appropri- 
ate, but  Sterne  and  Strasbourg. 

23d.  A  heavy  fog  detained  us  at  Caramanis 
village  till  near  6  a.  m.  The  fog,  however,  still 
continued  so  thick  as  to  conceal  objects  at 
twenty  yards  distance.  We  consequently  went 
cautiously.  Both  this  day  and  yesterday  we 
have  been  constantly  in  sight  of  Indian  canoes 
on  their  return  from  the  treaty.  Wooden 
canoes  are  exclusively  used  by  the  Winnebagoes. 
They  are  pushed  along  with  poles. 

We  passed  a  precipitous  range  of  hills  near 
Pine  creek,  on  one  of  which  is  a  cave,  called  by 
onr  \>02i,ivaQn,  L\l>ahleau  Port.  This  supersti- 
tion of  peopling  dens  and  other  dark  ])laces 
with  the  "arch  fiend,"  is  common.  If  the  "old 
serpent"  has  given  any  proofs  to  the  French 
boatmen  of  his  residence  here,  I  shall  only  hope 
that  he  will  confine  himself  to  this  river,and  not 
go  about  troublingquiet  folks  in  the  land  of 
the  lakes. 

At  Pine  river  we  went  inland  about  a  mile  to 
see  an  old  mine,  probably  the  remains  of  French 
enter|)rise,  or  French  credulity.  But  all  its 
golden  ores  had  flown,  probably  frightened  ofl^ 
by  the  old  fellow  of  U'diable  au  Port.  We  saw 
only  pits  dug  in  the  sand  overgrown  with  trees. 

Near  this  spot  in  the  river,  we  overtook 
Shingabowossin  and  his  party  of  Chippewas. 
They  had  left  the  prairie  on  the  same  day  that 
we  did,  but  earlier.  They  had  been  in  some 
dread  of  the  Winnebagoes,  and  stopped  on  the 
island  to  wait  for  us. 

In  passing  the  channel  of  Detour,  we  observed 
many  thousand  tons  of  white  rock  lying  in  the 
river,  which  had  lately  fallen  from  the  bank, 
leaving  a  solid  perpendicular  precipice.  This 
rock,  banks  and  ruins  is  like  all  the  Wisconsin 
valley  rocks — a  very  white  and   tine  sandstone. 

We  passed  five  canoes  of  Menomonees,  on 
their  way  to  hunt  on  Chippewa  river,  to    whom 


I  presented  some  powder,  lead  and  flour.  They 
gave  me  a  couple  of  fish,  of  the  kind  called 
pe-can-o  by  the  Indians. 

24th.  We  were  again  detained  by  the  fog 
till  half  past  5  a.  m.,  and  after  a  hard  day's 
fatiguing  toil,  I  encamped  at  8  o'clock  p.  m.,  on 
a  sandy  island  in  the  center  of  the  Wisconsin. 
The  water  in  the  river  is  low,  and  spreads 
stragglingly  over  a  wide  surface.  The  very  bed 
of  the  river  is  moving  sand.  V/hile  supper  was 
preparing  I  took  from  my  trunk  a  towel,  clean 
shirt  and  a  cake  of  soap,  and  spent  half  an  hour 
in  bathing  in  the  river  upon  the  clean  yellow 
sand.  After  this  grateful  refreshment,  I  sank 
sweetly  to  repose  in  my  tent. 

2.5th.  The  fog  dispersed  earlier  this  morning 
than  usual.  We  embarked  a  few  minntes  after 
4  A.  M.,  and  landed  for  breakfast  at  10.  The 
weather  now  was  quite  sultry,  as  indeed  it  has 
been  during  the  greater  part  of  every  day  since 
leaving  Tipesage — i.  «.  the  prairie.  Our  route 
this  day  carried  us  through  the  most  picturesque 
and  interesting  part  of  the  Wisconsin,  called 
the  Highlands  or  River  Hills.  Some  of  these 
hills  are  high,  with  precipitous  faces  towards 
the  river.  Others  terminate  in  round,  grassy 
knobs,  with  oaks  dispersed  about  the  sides. 
The  name  is  supposed  to  have  been  taken  from 
this  feature.  *  Generally  speaking,  the  country 
has  a  bald  and  barren  aspect.  Not  a  tree  ha-i 
apparently  been  cut  upon  its  banks,  and  not  a 
village  is  seen  to  relieve  the  tedium  of  an  unim- 
proved wilderness.  The  huts  of  an  Indian 
locality  seem  "at  random  cast."  I  have  already 
said  these  conical  and  angular  hills  present 
masses  of  white  sandstone  wherever  they  aie 
precipitous.  The  river  itself  is  almost  a 
moving  mas.s  of  white  and  yellow  sand,  bro.nd, 
clear,  shallow,  and  abounding  in  small  woody 
islands  and  willowy  sandbars. 

While  making  these  notes  I  have  been  com- 
pelled to  hold  mv  book,  pencil  and  umbrella, 
the  latter  being  indispensible    to    keep  oft'   the 

*Sin,  the  terminal  syllable,  is  clearly  from  the  Alyronquin— 
Os-9in.  a  stone.  The  French  addetUhe  letter  o,  which  is  the 
regular  local  form  of  the  word,  agreeably  to  the  true  Indian. 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


119 


almost  tropical  fervor  of  tlie  sun's  rays.  As 
the  umbrella  and  book  must  be  held  in  one 
hand,  you  may  judge  that  I  have  managed 
with  some  difficulty;  and  this  will  account  to 
you  for  many  nncouth  letters  and  much  dis- 
jointed orthography.  Between  the  annoyance  of 
insects,  the  heat  of  the  sun,  and  the  difficulties 
of  the  way,  we  had  incessant  employment. 

At  3  o'clock  p.  M.  we  put  ashore  for  dinner 
in  a  very  shaded  and  romantic  spot.  Poetic 
images  were  thick  about  us.  We  sat  upon  mats 
spread  upon  a  narrow  carpet  of  grass  between 
the  river  and  a  high  perpendicular  cliff.  The 
latter  threw  its  broad  shade  far  beyond  us.  This 
stri])  of  land  was  not  more  than  ten  feet  wide, 
and  had  any  fragrants  of  rock  fallen,  they 
wou!<l  have  crushed  us.  But  we  saw  no  reason 
to  fear  such  an  event,  nor  did  it  at  all  take  from 
the  relish  of  our  dinner.  Green  moss  had 
covered  the  face  of  the  rock  and  formed  a  soft 
velvet  covering,  against  which  we  leaned.  The 
broad  and  cool  river  ran  at  our  feet.  Overhang- 
ing trees  formed  a  grateful  Ixnver  around  us. 
Alas,  how  are  those  to  be  pitied  who  jirefei' 
palaces  Iniilt  with  human  hands  to  siicli  seques- 
tered scenes.  What  perversity  is  lher(^  in  tlif 
human  understanding  to  quit  the  deiiglitful 
and  peaceful  abodes  of  nature,  for  noisy  towns 
ami  (lusty  streets.  • 

"To  me  more  dear,  congeni!U  to  my  heart, 
O.ie  iiiitive  charm  tliaii  all  the  gloss  of  art.  " 

At  a  late  hour  in  theeveningwe  reached  the 
Wisconsin  port.age,  and  found  Dr.  Wood,  U.  S. 
A.,  encamped  there,  lie  had  arrived  a  short 
time  before  us,  with  four  Indians  and  one  Cana- 
dian in  a  canoe,  on  his  way  to  St.  Peter's.  He 
had  a  mail  in  his  trunk,  and  I  had  reason  to 
believe  I  should  receive  letters,  but  to  my  sore 
disapi)oinlment  I  found  nothing.  I  invited  Dr. 
Wood  to  supper,  having  some  ducks  and  snipes 
to  offer  in  addition  to  my  usual  stock  of  solids, 
such  as  ham,  venison  and  buffalo  tongues. 

ALONG  THE     MISSISSIl'1'1     IN    1829. 

Galena  stands  on  the  land  we  afterwards  pur- 
chased of  the  Indians,  and  is  the  largest  town  in 


Illinois.  When  we  arrived  there  it  had  been 
settled  about  three  years.  It  contained  several 
taverns,  a  considerable  number  of  stores,  about 
a  dozen  lawyers, and  four  or  five  physicians, with 
little  to  do,  as  the  country  is  healthy.  There 
were  three  religious  congregations  in  the  place 
— Methodists,  Roman  Catholics  and  Presbyte- 
rians. The  town  is  built  on  the  side  hill, 
in  the  form  of  a  crescent,  on  the  north  side 
of  Fever  river,  and  contains,  perhaps,  1,000 
inhabitants.  It  is  a  seat  of  justice  of  Jo 
Daviess  Co.,  111.,  and  is  situated  in  latitude 
about  42  degrees,  30  minutes  north.  It  con- 
tains at  all  times  very  large  quantities  of  lead, 
brought  here  either  as  rent  to  the  government, 
or  for  sale  to  the  merchants.  The  superintend- 
ent of  the  mines  and  his  assistant,  Maj.  Camp- 
bell, live  here.  The  latter  gentleman  and  his 
amiable  and  interesting  lady  had  Ijeen  with  us 
on  our  passage  from  St  Louis,  and  they  were 
hapj)y  to  find  themselves  at  the  end  of  as  dis- 
agreeable a  journey  as  was  ever  made  on  these 
waters. 

XuiTierous  groceries  appeared  in  the  town,  to 
us,  and  two  billiard  tables  were  occupied  by 
persons  who  wished  lo  amuse  themselves  at 
billiards. 

Mr.  .lames  Barnes,  formerly  of  Chillicothe, 
Ohio,  kept  an  excellent  boarding  house,  and 
I  found  many  old  acquaintances  in  the  town, 
enjoying  the  best  of  health,  and  they  appeared 
cheerful  and  happy. 

Here  we  learned  that  a  largo  body  of  Indians 
had  already  been  assembled  at  Prairie  du 
Chien,  for  some  time,  and  were  in  readiness  to 
meet  us.  Knowing  the  necessity  of  supplying 
them  with  food,  that  ours  would  not  reach  us 
for  sometime  yet,  and  knowing  this  to  be  the 
last  opportunity  we  should  find  to  purchase  any 
food,  we  purchased  500  bushels  of  corn,  and 
loading  all  we  could  convey,  we  left  this  beauti- 
ful town  on  the  next  day,  and  departed  for  our 
final  destination,  where  we  arrived  about  the 
middle  of  July,  1829. 


120 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


As  soon  as  we  were  discovered  by  our  red 
friends,  a  few  miles  below  the  fort,  opposite  to 
their  encampment,  they  fired  into  the  air  about 
1,500  rifles,  to  honor  us.  Our  powder  had 
become  wet,  and,  to  our  extreme  mortification 
and  regret,  we  could  not  answer  them  by  our 
cannon.  Having  fired  their  arms,  some  ran  on 
foot,  some  rode  on  their  small  horses  furiously 
along  over  the  prairie  to  meet  us  where  we 
landed  Amidst  the  motley  g»oup  of  thousands, 
of  all  ages,  sexes,  classes  of  society,  colors  and 
conditions  of  men,  women  and  children,  who 
met  us  on  the  wharf — Nawkaw  and  Hoochope- 
kah,  with  their  families,  eagerly  seized  my 
hand,  and  I  was  happy,  indeed,  to  meet  them 
here.  During  twenty  years  I  had  seen  them 
several  times,  and  they  recognized  me  in  a 
moment,  among  the  crowd,  and  assured  me  of 
their  friendship  and  good  wishes.  These  chiefs 
of  the  Winnebagoes  and  their  families  pressed 
around  me,  and  continued  close  by  me  until  we 
reached  the  tavern  where  we  went.  'J'liere  we 
entered  into  a  long  conversation,  and  they  in- 
troduced me  to  their  red  friends.  I  assured 
them  of  my  ardent  friendship,  and  that  they 
and  their  people  should  be  dealt  with,  not  only 
justly  but  liberally;  that  the  President,  their 
great  father,  was  their  friend,  a  warrior  like 
them,  and  never  would  do  them  any  injury; 
that  I  wished  them  all  to  remember  what  I 
now  told  them,  and  when  we  finally  parted,  if  my 
solemn  promises  thus  voluntarily  made  to  them 
had  not  been  kept  to  the  very  letter,  I  wished 
them  to  publicly  tell  me  se.  Shaking  me 
heartily  by  the  hand,  and  assuring  me  of  their 
friendship,  they  then  appealed  to  Col.  Menard, 
who  heartily  agreed  with  me  in  assuring  them  of 
our  good  intentions  towards  them. 

Dr.  Wolcott,  the  agent  for  the  Chippewas, 
Ottawas  and  Pottawattamies,  here  met  us,  and 
he  liad  been  at  incredible  pains  to  get  his  Indi- 
ans iiere,  where  they  had  been  for  nearly  a 
month,  perhaps.  Mr.  Kinzy,  the  sub-agent  of 
the  Winnebagoes,  whose  sub-agency  is  located 
at  Fort  Winnebago,  had   also  come   and   witli 


him  all  the  principal  persons  of  that  Nation,  re- 
siding in  that  direction. 

All  the  Indians  with  whom  we  were  sent  to 
treat  were  represented  on  the  ground,  and  all 
that  was  wanting  to  begin  our  councils  we 
urged  forward  with  all  the  energy  that  the 
officers  of  the  government  and  their  numerous 
friends  could  muster.  The  next  day,  in  com- 
pany with  Gen.  Street,  the  agent  of  the  Winne- 
bagoes, resident  here,  several  sub-agents  and  in- 
terpreters, I  met  the  principal  men  of  the  Win- 
nebagoes, and  we  impressed  upon  them  the 
necessity  of  keeping  their  young  men  under 
subjection,  and  arranged  with  them  the  out- 
lines of  the  manner  in  which  our  business 
should  be  conducted.  The  talk  was  a  long  one 
and  occupied  the  afternoon.  Gen.  Street  was 
very  zealous  in  the  service  of   the  government. 

Gen.  McNeil  and  his  officers  at  the  fort 
erected  a  council  shade  near  the  fort  and  in 
about  three  days  we  were  ready  to  hold  a  public 
council,  when  Dr.  Wolcott's  Indians  informed 
me  that  they  could  not  meet  in  public  council 
until  an  Indian  was  buried,  and  inquired  of  me 
if  I  objected  to  the  burial,  to  which  I  replied 
that  I  could  not  object  to  the  burial,  certainly. 
On  the  next  day,  to  my  regret,  I  learned  thoy 
would  not  assemble  in  council  until  the  Indinn 
was  buried,  and  again  inquired  whether  I  was 
willing  to  have  the  person  buried,  to  wliicli 
question  I  replied  in  the  affirmative,  when  I  was 
informed  that  the  relatives  of  the  deceased 
would  not  consent  to  the  burial  of  the  mur- 
dered person  until  they  had  received  a  horse, 
as  the  compensation  for  his  death.  Under- 
standing the  difficulty  at  last,  the  commissioners 
gave  the  horse,  the  deceased  was  buried  and  tlie 
Indians  agreed  to  meet  in  council  next  day. 

I  took  some  pains  to  get  the  murderer  and 
the  relatives  of  the  deceased  together  in  order 
to  have  a  perfect  reconciliation  between  them. 
They  shook  hands  very  cordially  in  appearance, 
but  the  relatives  of  the  deceased  person  in- 
formed nie  jirivately  afterwards  tliat,  as  soon 
as  tile  murderer    got  home  with    liis  horse  and 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


121 


goods,  they  would  kill  him  and  take  his  prop- 
erty, whicli  he  could  better  keep  than  they 
could  until  then.  If  I  am  correctly  informed 
they  did  as  tliey  assiired  me  they  would 'after 
their  arrival  in  their  own  country.  So  that 
compounding  for  the  murderer  only  procrasti- 
nated for    a   time  the  punishment  of  the  crime 

When  everything  was  in  readiness  for  the 
opening  of  the  council,  the  Indians  of  all  the 
tribes  and  Nations  on  the  treaty  ground 
attended,  and  requested  to  have  translated  to 
them,  severally,  wliat  we  said  to  each  tribe, 
which  being  absented  to  on  our  part,  the  Win- 
nebagoes,  the  Chippewas,  Oltawas,  Potlawatta- 
mies,  Sioux,  Sauks,  Foxes  and  Monomonees, 
half-breeds,  the  officers  from  the  fort,  the  Indi- 
an agents,  sub-agents,  interpreters  and  a  great 
concourse  of  strangers  from  every  city  in  the 
Union;  and  even  from  Liverpool,  London  and 
Paris,  were  in  attendance.  The  commissioners 
sat  on  a  raised  bench  facing  the  Indian  chiefs; 
on  each  side  of  them  stood  the  officers  of  the 
army  in  full  dress,  while  tiie  soldier.s,  in  their 
best  attire,  appeared  in  lirigiit  array  on  the 
sides  of  the  council  shade.  The  ladies  belong- 
ing to  the  officers'  families',  and  the  best 
families  in  the  Prairie,  were  seated  directly  be- 
liind  the  commissioners,  where  they  conhl  see 
all  that  passed  and  hear  all  that  was  sai<l.  l>e- 
liinil  the  principal  Indian  chiefs  sat  the  com- 
mon people — first  the  men,  then  the  women  and 
children,  to  the  number  of  thousands,  wlio  list- 
ened in  breathless  and  death-like  silence  to 
every  word  that  was  uttered.  The  spectacle 
was  grand  and  morally  sublime  in  the  highest 
degree  to  the  Nations  of  red  men  who  were 
present,  and  when  our  proposition  to  sell  all 
their  country  to  their  Father  had  been  delivered 
to  them,  they  requested  an  exact  copy  of  it  in 
writing;  the  request  was  instantly  comi)lied 
with  and  the  council  broke  up.  The  next  d.iy 
we  addressed  the  Winnebagoes,  as  we  had  the 
Chippewas,  etc.,  the  day  before,  and  at  their 
request  gave  them  a  copy  of  our  speech. 


After  counciling  among  themselves,  the  Chip- 
pewas, etc.,  answered  favorably  as  to  a  sale, 
though  they  would  do  nothing  yet  until  they 
had  fixed  on  their  terms. 

Tlie  Winnebagoes  appeared  in  council  and 
delivered  many  speeclies  to  us.  They  de- 
manded the  ^20,000  worth  of  goods.  "Wipe 
out  your  debt,"  was  their  reply,  "before  you  run 
in  debt  again  to  us." 

Our  goods,  owing  to  the  low  stage  of  the 
water,  had  not  arrived  yet,  and  tlie  Indians 
feared  we  did  not  intend  to  fulfill  Gov.  Cass' 
agreement  of  the  year  before.  When  our  goods 
did  arrive  and  they  saw  them  they  then  changed 
their  tone  a  little;  but  in  the  meantime,  great 
uneasiness  existed,  and  I  was  often  seriously 
advised  by  Nawkaw  and  other  friends  to  go 
into  the  fort,  as  Gen.  McNeil  had  done.  Col. 
Menard's  ill  health  had  compelled  him  to  leave 
the  ground  and  go  to  Gen.  Street's,  five  miles 
(the  general  calls  it  three)  from  the  council 
house.  Unless  we  left  the  ground,  we  were 
told  by  the  Winnebagoes,  that  they  "would 
use  a  little  switch  upon  us."  In  plain  Englisli, 
they  would  assassinate  the  whole  of  us  out  of 
the  fort.  Two  hundred  warriors  under  Keokuk 
and  Morgan,  of  Sauks  and  Foxes,  arrived  and 
began  their  war  dance  for  the  United  States, 
and  they  brought  word  that  thirty  steamboats 
with  cannon  and  United  Slates  troops,  and  400 
warriors  of  their  own,  were  near  at  hand.  The 
Winnebagoes  were  silenced  by  this  intelligence, 
and  by  demonstrations,  not  misunderstood  by 
them. 

When  Keokuk  arrived,  he  brought  two  de- 
serters from  the  garrison  here,  whom  he  had 
made  prisoners  on  his  way  up  the  river.  Quas- 
quawma  and  his  son-in-law,  Tia-ma,  came  with 
Keokuk.  It  was  a  season  of  great  joy  with 
me,  who  placed  more  reliance  on  these  friendly 
warriors  than  on  all  our  forces.  Good  as  our 
officers  were,  our  soldiers  of  the  army  were  too 
dissipated  and  worthless  to  be  relicil  on  one 
moment.  Taking  Keokuk  aside  and  alone,  I 
told  him  in  plain  English  all  I  wanted  of  him, 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


what  I  would  do  for  him  and  what  I  expected 
from  him  and  his  good  officers.  He  replied  in 
good  English:  "I  understand  you  sir,  perfectly, 
and  it  shall  all  be  done."  It  was  all  done  faith- 
fully, and  he  turned  the  tide  in  our  favor. 

The  goods  arrived  and  also  our  provisions; 
Col.  Menard's  and  Gen.  McNeil's  health  were 
restored  and  they  appeared  again  at  the  council 
house  and  everything  wore  a  new  aspect.  They 
approved  of  all  I  had  done  in  their  temporary 
absence. 

On  the  29th  of  July,  1829,  we  concluded  our 
treaty  with  the  Chippewas,  Ottawas  and  Potta- 
wattamies. 

On  the  1st  day  of  August  a  treaty  was  con- 
cluded with  the  VVinnebagoes. 

So  the  treaties  were  executed  at  last,  and 
about  8,000,000  acres  of  land  added  to  onr 
domain,  purchased  from  tiie  Indians.  Taking 
the  three  tracts,  ceded,  and  forming  one  whole, 
it  extends  from  the  upper  end  of  Rock  Island  to 
the  mouth  of  the  Wisconsin;  from  latitude  41 
degrees,  30  minutes,  to  latitude  48  degrees,  15 
minutes,  on  the  Mississippi.  Following  the 
meanderings  of  the  river,  it  is  called  210  miles 
from  south  to  north.  It  extends  along  the 
Wisconsin  and  Fox  rivers,  from  west  to  east,  so 
as  to  give  us  a  passage  across  the  country  from 
the  Mississippi  to  Lake  Michigan.  The  south 
part  of  the  purchase  extends  from  Rock  Island 
to  Lake  Michigan  south  of  the  Wisconsin,  the 
Indians  now  own  only  reservations  where  they 
live,  which,  as  soon  as  the  white  people  settle 
on  all  the  ceded  lands,  will  be  sold  to  us,  and 
the  Indians  will  retire  above  the  Wisconsin,  or 
cross  the  Mississippi,  where  the  bear,  the  beaver, 
the  deer  and  the  bison  invite  them.  The  United 
States  now  owns  all  the  country  on  the  east  side 
of  the  Mississippi,  from  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  to 
the  mouth  of  the  Wisconsin. 

When  I  have  crossed  Rock  river,  after  hav- 
ing passed  over  the  interior  of  the  ceded  coun- 
try, I  will  describe  it  more  particularly. 

It  remains  for  me  to  make  a  few  remarks 
upon   the   country   along   the  Mississippi  from 


Fort   Edwards    upward,    and     briefly    describe 
Prairie  du  Chien. 

Ascending  the  Mississippi,  the  country  ap- 
peared to  rise  up  out  of  the  river  at  Fort  Ed- 
wards, and  the  hills  assume  a  greater  elevation 
still,  at  Du  Buque's  mine  and  tomb  not  far 
from  Galena.  From  thence  n[)wards,  the  bot- 
tom lands  are  narrow,  the  river  turns  towards 
the  northwest  and  becomes  very  crooked, 
bounded  by  high  hills.  Cassville,  thirty  miles 
below  Prairie  du  Chien,  stands  on  a  narrow 
bottom,  where  an  opening  into  the  mineral 
country,  in  the  direction  of  Mineral  Point,  pre- 
sents itself.  This  easy  passage  down  to  the 
river  has  located  a  town  here  of  a  few  houses, 
consisting  of  a  tavern,  a  storehouse  for  the  lead, 
belonging  to  the  United  States;  and  here  a 
government  sub-agent  to  collect  and  receive 
the  government's  share  of  lead  resides,  Maj. 
Beal. 

Opposite  to  the  mouth  of  the  Wisconsin 
stands  Pike's  hill,  lofty  and  abrupt,  and  just 
above  this  place,  on  the  eastern  bank  of  the 
river,  begins  the  low  prairie  ground  on  which 
Fort  Crawford  and  the  village  of  Prairie  du 
Chien  stand.  The  town  begins  to  show  itself 
three  miles  above  the  Wisconsin,  and  extends 
upwards  about  nine  miles,  where  it  ends.  The 
river  is  full  of  islands,  and  when  at  its  highest 
altitude  in  a  freshet  is  three  miles  in  width, 
from  hill  to  hill.  Originally  settled  by  the 
French,  it  was  once  a  place  of  some  importance, 
as  the  remains  of  old  cellars  and  chimneys 
show.  That  importance  is  no  more,  and  proba- 
bly never  will  be  again.  Overflowed  by  high 
waters,  and  but  little  good  land  near  it,  with- 
out waterpower,  I  see  little  inducement  to  build 
up  a  town  here.  On  the  north  side  of  the 
Wisconsin  there  is  no  land  on  which  a  town  can 
be  located  near  the  Wisconsin,  and  the  south 
side  is  preferable  for  it,  where  one  will,  one 
day,  rise  up.  The  town,  though,  is  a  seat  of 
justice  for  a  county  of  Michigan,  and  perhaps 
thirty  families,besides  those  belonging  to  the 
garrison,  reside  here      No  Indians    reside  near 


HISTORY  OP  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


123 


here,  and  there  is  no  sort  of  need  of  nor  propri- 
ety in  having  an  agency,  etc.,  liere  for  the  Win- 
nebagoes,  because  Fort  Winnebago  is  the  proper 
place  for  the  agency. 

Gen.  Street,  the  agent  and  near  relative  of 
Mr.  Barry,  the  postmaster  general,  is  the  pres- 
ent agent,  and  his  residence,  I  consider  to  be 
about  five  miles  above  the  fort,  though  I  am 
aware  that  Gen.  Street's  estimated  distance  is 
only  three  miles. 

The  water  found  by  digging  in  this  prairie  is 
not  always  good,  and  that  in  our  well  was  the 
worst  I  ever  tasted,  operating  upon  the  bowels 
like  glauher  salts,  and  I  suffered  excessively 
I'r-om  using  it.  Even  the  food  cooked  in  it  af- 
fected ine  seriously.  'I'lie  well  in  tlie  fort  is 
betier  and  some  persons  obtain  water  from 
spiings  in  tlie  river  whtn  it  is  low.  The  river 
covers  all  the  town  and  where  the  fort  is  in 
liigh  water.  The  .Mississippi  rising  late  in  the 
season,  and  subsiding  in  the  summer  solstice, 
this  ])lace  must  be  sickly  in  summer  every  year, 
when  a  freshet  takes  such  a  time  to  appear.  In 
liS'29  there  was  no  such  rise  in  the  river,  of  any 
amount,  and  the  place  was  healthy. 

The  only  Indians  living  on  this  river  below 
this  place  and  near  it,  are  the  Sauks  and  Foxes. 
The  principal  town  of  the  former,  on  the  east 
side  of  the  Mississippi,  is  situated  on  the  nortli 
side  of  Rock  river,  near  its  mouth,  and  in  sight 
of  the  Mississippi.  Not  many  years  ago  this 
town  contained,  it  is  said,  4,000  or  5,000  inhabi- 
tants. They  have  sold  all  the  country  east  of 
the  river  Mississipiji,  and  are  withdrawing  from 
it  to  a  new  town  some  ten  miles  west  of  the 
old  town,  and  about  the  same  distance  from 
Rock  Island. 

The  priiu'itial  town  of  the  Foxe8*is  on  the 
l)riiik  of  the  river  near  Du  Buque's  mine,  and 
in  sight  of  his  tomb,  which  is  erected  on  a  high 
hill,  where  the  cross  on  his  grave  "can  be  seen 
from  the  river  to  a  considerable  distance  from 
it.  Du  i>u(jue  was  an  Indian  trader  and  lived 
and  died  here. 


The  Fox  town  contains  twenty  wigwams  or 
upwards,  and  I  presume  some  200  Indians.  I 
saw  but  a  few  acres  of  poorly  cultivated  corn 
near  the  town,  and  the  wigwams  looked  shabby 
enough.  Morgan  is  the  principal  warrior  of 
this  village,  as  Keokuk  is  of  the  Rock  river 
town. 

The  Sauks  and  Foxes  were  so  useful  to  us  as 
auxiliaries,  that  I  feel  grateful  to  them  and 
make  a  few  remarks  on  their  principal  men  who 
were  with  us. 

Keokuk,  the  princijtal  warrior  of  the  Sauks, 
is  a  shrewd,  politic  man,  as  well  as  a  brave  one, 
and  he  possesses  great  weight  of  character  in 
their  national  councils.  He  is  a  high-minded, 
honorable  man,  and  never  begs  of  the  whites. 

While  ascending  the  Mississippi  to  join  us,  at 
the  head  of  his  brave  troops,  he  met,  arrested 
and  brought  along  with  him  to  Fort  Crawford, 
two  United  States  soldiers,  who  were  deserting 
from  the  garrison  when  he  met  them.  I  in- 
formed him  that  for  this  act  he  was  entitled  to 
a  bounty  in  money;  to  which  he  proudly  re- 
plied, that  he  acted  from  motives  of  friendship 
towards  the  United  states,  and  would  accept  no 
money  for  it. 

Morgan  is  the  principal  warrior  of  the  Foxes, 
and  resides  at  Du  Buque's  mine  on  the  western 
bank  of  the  Mississippi.  Though  less  versatil- 
ity of  talent  belongs  to  him  than  Keokuk  pos- 
sesses, yet  he  is  a  brave  man  and  fond  of  war. 
More  than  a  year  before  we  were  in  this  country, 
this  Indian  general  had  gone  to  the  Sioux 
country  and  killed  a  woman  and  three  children 
of  that  Nation,  which  act  produced  the  war, 
then  raging  between  the  two  Nations.  This 
act  has  since  been  dreadfully  avenged  by  a 
large  party,  on  some  twenty  individuals  of  the 
Foxes. 

Tiama,  a  principal  civil  chief  of  the  same 
tribe,  is  an  excellent  man,  and  son-in-law  of 
Quasquawma.  '1  heir  village  is  already  noticed 
as  being  located  on  the  west  side  of  the  river, 
opposite  where  we  lay  on  an  island,  at  the  head 
of  the  lower  rapids. 


124 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


Quasquawma  was  the  chief  of  this  tribe  once, 
but  being  cheated  out  of  the  mineral  country, 
as  the  Indians  allege,  he  was  degraded  from 
his  rank  and  his  son-in-law,  Tiama,  elected  in 
his  stead.  The  improvisatori,  whose  name  has 
escaped  my  recollection,  is  a  shrewd  wit  and  a 
very  good  man,  certainly  a  very  amiable  and 
agreeable  one.  He  is  highly  esteemed  by  all 
his  people. 

Tom,  a  half-blood,  is  a  great  pet  among  the 
whites.  He  speaks  prairie-wolf  French  and  a 
little  English,  in  addition  to  his  knowledge  of 
Indian  languages. 

Of  the  above  named  individuals,  and  several 
others  belonging  to  these  brave  and  generous 
allies,  I  brought  away  with  me  as  correct  a 
likeness  as  I  ever  saw  drawn.  Gratitude 
towards  them  was  my  motive  for  being  at  the 
expense  of  these  beautiful  paintings  which  have 
gone  to  London  a  year  since.  Like  many  other 
expenses  I  was  necessarily  put  to,  I  have  never 
received  even  one  cent  from  the  government 
towards  them,  nor  have  I  received  one  cent, 
either  for  my  expenses  or  my  services  at  St. 
Louis,  the  lower  rapids.  Rock  Island  or  Galena. 
I  say  this  because  it  has  been  stated  very 
differently,  even  on  the  floor  of  the  House  of 
Representatives.  It  is  not. true  that  all  my 
expenses  were  paid  by  the  United  States  ;  nor 
is  it  true  that  my  services  liave  been  paid  for 
by  the  government  at  all.  In  saying  this,  I  do 
it  in  justice  to  myself  as  I  would  to  do  justice 
to  any  other  injured  individual,  however  hum- 
ble in  the  Nation.  I  am  even  yet  unpaid,  but  I 
never  will  condescend  to  beg  for  my  pay  at 
the  doors  of  Congress.  I  did  once  expect  very 
different  treatment  from  my  countrv- 

AN    INDIAN    SCARE. 

In  1846  the  citizens  living  contiguous  to  the 
Wisconsin  river  were  treated  to  a  genuine  In- 
dian scare,  and  as  the  Winnebagoes  were  the 
supposed  enemies,  an  account  in  this  history  is 
properly  given  of  the  event. 

In  the  winter  of  1844-5,  and  while  the  Legis- 
lature of  the  State  was  in  session  at  Madison,  the 


capital,  a  rumor  that  an  Indian  war  had  broken 
out,came  to  the  ears  of  the  legislators  with  a  thou- 
sand fearful  forebodings,  and  producing  intense 
excitement.  At  this  time  the  militia  laws  had 
all  been  repealed,  probably  with  a  view  to  coun- 
teract the  supposed  influence  of  Gov.  Doty, 
and  the  c  pital  he  might  have  made  by  the  or- 
ganization of  the  militia,  and  the  appointment 
of  the  officers  from  among  his  friends,  the  ma- 
jority of  the  Legislature  being  opposed  to  Doty. 
At  this  juncture,  however,  a  change  in  the 
administration  of  the  general  government  had 
changed  governors,  and  Gen.  Dodge  was  again 
at  the  helm  of  the  territory.  But  the  law 
which  abolished  the  militia  service  with  a  view 
to  hamper  and  trammel  Doty,  was  now,  in  a 
time  of  need,  found  to  trammel  and  hamper 
Dodge,  for  though  great  fear  was  excited,  that 
plunder  and  murder  would  be,  or  were  actually 
being  committed  by  the  Indians,  the  governor's 
hands  were  tied  By  the  law,  which  he  had  him- 
self approved.  The  representations  of  the 
Indian  disturbances  made  to  the  governor  he 
communicated  to  the  Assembly. 

The  emergency  of  the  case  was  such  as  to 
call  the  two  Houses  together  at  an  evening  ses- 
sion, to  receive  the  governor's  message  on  the 
subject,  and  to  devise  ways  and  means  for  the 
public  defense.  And  while  one  was  looking  at 
another,  at  a  loss  to  know  what  to  do,  a  mem- 
ber penned  and  offered  a  bill  to  repeal  the  act 
by  which  the  militia  organization  had  been  abol- 
ished, and  to  restore  the  former  laws  upon  the 
subject.  In  offering  the  bill  which  contained 
only  a  few  lines,  he  moved  a  suspension  of  the 
rules,  so  that  the  bill  passed  at  once,  and  was 
sent  to  the  council;  and  by  the  same  process,  it 
was  passed  there,  and  in  about  half  an  hour 
from  the  time  it  was  first  offered,  the  governor 
had  approved  of  it,  and  the  whole  militia  of  the 
territory  was  organized,  officers  and  all, 
and  measures  were  taken  to  call  out  a 
portion  of  it,  to  chastise  the  supposed  maraud- 
ers, when  a  second  communication  to  the  gov- 
ernor showed  that  there  was  no  occasion  for  it. 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


129 


The  first  report  bad  grown  out  of  exaggerated 
sta'ements  of  some  wliite  hunters,  who  had 
come  in  contact  with  some  Indians  in  tht  same 
pursuit,  and  who  probably  took  some  game 
which  the  whites  would  have  been  glad  to  have 
taken  ;  and  possibly  some  pigs  had  been  taken 
on  the  credit  of  the  Indians,  but  this  was.  never 
proven  against  them. 

By  reference  to  the  Legislative  journals,  it 
appears  that  this  matter  happened  on  the  last 
evening,  Feb.  3,  1846.  Tlie  governor  com- 
municated the  proceedings  of  a  meeting  of  the 
citizens  of  Muscoda,  on  the  Wisconsin  river,  in 
Grant  county,  dated  Sunday  night,  Feb.  1,  1846, 
stating  as  follows  :  "The  citizens  of  this  prairie 
and  surrounding  country,  having  been  for  the 
last  several  months  annoyed  and  harrassed 
by  the  depredations  of  the  Winnebago  Indians, 
and  submitted  to  tlieir  bullying  and  insults, 
have  at  length  been  forced  to  the  dernier  re- 
sort ;  to  take  up  arms  for  our  protection.  This 
evening  a  skirmish  took  plac  J  between  the  In- 
dians and  the  citizens,  in  which  four  of  the 
former  were  severely,  if  not  mortally  wounded; 
and  from  the  known  character  of  the  Indians, 
we  may  naturally  e.xpcct  more  serious  conse- 
quences to  ensue.  A  true  and  correct  state- 
ment of  the  occurrences  of  the  day  is  substan- 
tially as  follows  :  A  number  of  the  Indians 
came  down  the  north  side  of  the  Wisconsin 
river  to  Capt.  Smith's,  and  stole  his  canoe.  He 
discovered  them  and  called  to  them  to  bring  it 
back,  which  they  refused  to  do.  The  captain, 
with  several  other  men,  came  over  to  this  shore, 
found  the  Indians  who  look  his  boat,  and  chas- 
tised one  or  two  of  them  with  a  stick,  and  in 
the  Thelee  one  of  his  men  was  severely  hurt 
witli  a  club  in  the  hands  of  one  of  the  Indians. 
The  Indians  then  ran,  and  the  citizens,  a  num- 
ber of  whom  had  by  this  time  collected,  followed 
them  a  little  way  and  returned.  In  a  short 
time  the  Indians  came  back  also.  All  the 
citizens  having  by  this  time  assembled,  Capt. 
ffanies  B.  Estes  and  Booth  advanced  towards 
them,    unarmed,    and  in    a  peaceable   manner. 


making  friendly  manifestations,  all  of  which 
time  the  Indians  threatened,  by  drawing  tlieir 
knives,  throwing  off  their  blankets,  waving 
their  guns  in  the  air,  and  pointing  them  toward 
the  whites.  Finding  it  impossible  to  ]>acify  or 
appease  them  they  separated,  and  in  a  moment 
they  fired  upon  the  citizens  ;  the  next  minute 
their  fire  was  returned,  and  four  of  them  fell." 
They  then  add,  that  the  Indians  have  sent  their 
runners  to  collect  their  scattered  bands,  and  the 
whites  have  sent  for  aid  ;  that  they  want  the 
governor's  assistance,  and  are  determined  to 
kill  or  drive  every  Indian  en  the  Wisconsin 
over  the  Mississippi  ;  have  upwards  of  fortj 
men  under  arms,  and  have  chosen  James  \i. 
Estes  for  captain. 

Gov.  Dodge  recommended  the  adoption  of  a 
memorial  to  the  secretary  of  war,  asking  for  a 
corps  of  dragoons  to  protect  the  frontier  settle- 
ments. "In  the  course  of  half  an  hour,"  says 
the  Madison  Aryus  of  that  period,  "resolutions 
were  adopted  to  that  effect,  and  the  militia  law 
of  the  territory  revived  ;"  and  on  the  adjourn- 
ment of  the  Legislature,  the  governor  set  out 
immediately  for  the  scene  of  disturbance,  but 
the  excitement  had  died  away  and  no  more 
trouble  was  apprehended. 

CONCEUNING    INDIAN   MIGRATION. 
tlJy  .\  If  red  Brunson.) 

At  what  period  the  Chippewas  began  to  oc- 
cupy that  portion  of  the  country  south  of  Lake 
Superior,  and  within  the  ancient  limits  of 
Crawford  county,  it  is  difKcult  to  ascertain. 
Their  first  council  fire  within  these  limits  was 
kindled  on  the  Island  of  Magdalene,  now.  La 
Pointe — but  when,  neither  history  or  their 
traditions  definitely  inform  us.  Whenever  it 
was,  the  Sioux  occuj)ied  the  main  land,  and  I 
was  shown  points  and  places  on  the  island,  as 
well  as  on  the  main  land,  where  the  severest  of 
battles  were  fought  between  these  warlike  tribes. 
From  the  best  dale  I  have  the  Chippewas  were 
on  this  island  in  1722;  for  about  that  time  a 
trading  post  existed  there,  and  how  long  pre- 
viously is    not  determined.      In  1665,  the  mis- 


136 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


sionary,  Claude  Allonez  reached  Kenenana,  and 
interposed  his  influence  in  pieventing  a  party  of 
young  warriors  from  going  against  the  Sioux; 
from  which  it  would  appear  that  Kenewana 
was  then  the  western  limi^of  tlie  Chippewas, 
on  the  south  shore  of  that  lake.* 

After  the  Chippewas  had  gained  a  foothold 
upon  the  Magdalene  Island,  their  lirst  move 
"inland"  was  towards  the  head  branches  of  the 
Chippewa,  and  resulted  in  planting  a  colony  at 
Lake  Flambeau.  As  early  as  1659,  the  Chip- 
pewas were  near  Green  bay,  and  west  and  north- 
west of  it  to  the  Wisconsin  and  Lake  Superior, 
from  which  the  Flambeau  colony  probably  re- 
ceived accessions,  and  by  degrees  they  extended 
their  conquest  down  the  Chippewa,  until  the 
the  battle  field  between  them  and  the  Sioux  was 
between  the  falls  of  Chippewa  and  Lake  Pe])in. 

In  the  meantime  this  warlike  and  conquering 
people  extended  their  excursions  to  the  head  of 
the  lake,  and  up  the  St.  Louis  river;  and  pass- 
ing the  falls  by  a  nine  mile  portage,  they  con- 
tinued to  ascend  that  river,  and  the  Savannah 
branch  of  it, — and  by  afiye  mile  poitage  reached 
the  waters  of  Sandy  Lake,  on  the  Mississippi, 
where  they  planted  a  colony,  and  this  region 
became  the  battle  ground  lietween  them  and 
the  Sioux  in  that  direction  until  the  line  was 
pushed  down  the  river  to  the  Sauk  rapids.  In 
1825,  when  General  Cass,  as  governor  of  Michi- 
gan and  superintendent  of  Indian  affairs,  had  a 
general  congress  of  Indian  Nations  at  Prairie  du 
Chien,  to  settle  the  boundaries  of  their  respec- 
tive lands,  a  dispute  arose  between  the  Sioux 
and  Chippewas,  as  to  the  line  between  them. 
The  latter  claimed  to  the  St.  Peter  and  the  Mis- 
sissippi rivers,  while  the  former  claimed  to  Lake 
Superior,  and  averred  that  their  fathers  had  al- 
ways occupied  and  owned  the  country  to  that 
point. 

General  Cass  inquired  of  the  Chippewas,  "on 

what   ground    they    claimed    the    country,    the 

Sioux  having  occupied  it  before  the  Chi]ipewas 

came  to  it."      Upon  this  Hole-in-the-day,  then 

♦Bancrofts  page  150. 


but  a  young  man,  rose  and  said,  "We  claim  it 
on  the  same  ground  that  you  claim  this  country 
from  the  King  of  England — by  conquest." 
"Then,"  said  Governor  Cass,  "you  are  entitled 
to  it."  One  of  the  most  sanguine  battles  fought 
between  these  tribes  was  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Crow  Wing  river,  as  near  as  I  conld  learn,  from 
Indian  tradition,  about  the  year  1768.  The 
battle  lasted  four  days  between  seventy  Chip- 
pewas and  400  Sioux,  the  most  of  the  latter  being 
killed.  In  1843  the  remains  of  the  fortifica- 
tions, such  as  holes  dug  in  the  ground,  and 
breast  works  thrown  up  by  the  Chippewas,  were 
plainly  visible;  and  the  affair  was  explained  to 
me  by  William  Aitkin,  Esq. 

The  next  Indian  occupants  of  a  portion  of 
the  soil  in  this  original  country,  seem  to 
have  been  the  Sacs,  (Sauks  or  Saukies)  and  the 
Foxes,  the  latter  called  Ottigaumies  by  Carver. 
At  what  time  they  commenced  their  occupation 
is  uncertain.  In  1673,  and  for  some  time  be- 
fore, they  lived  on  Fox  river,  uQt  far  from 
Green  bay.  But  in  1766,  Carver  found  the 
Sauks  at  Sauk  Prairie,  and  the  Foxes  at  Prairie 
du  Chien.  And,  according  to  his  account  of  the 
time  of  building  their  village — it  being  thirty 
years  previous  to  his  reaching  the  place — it  must 
have  been  as  early  as  17-"6,  and  perhaps  earlier. 
These  confederated  tribes,  who  had  been  like 
Ishmael,  their  hands  against  everybody,  and,  of 
course,  in  self  defence,  everybody's  hand 
against  them,  were  driven  from  the  St.  Law- 
rence step  by  step,  until  they  weie  reduced  in 
numbers,  and  compelled  to  unite  their  frag- 
ments of  bands  for  mutual  defence  and  self- 
protection,  and  settle  on  Fox  river,  fifty  miles 
from  Green  bay,  where  in  1706,  they  were  de- 
feated by  the  French  and  some  allied  Indians, 
who  killed  and  took  most  of  them' prisoners.* 
It  is  probable  that  soon  after  this  event  they 
moved  over  upon  the  Wisconsin  river,  and 
wrested  the  country  from  the  Sicux,  with  whum 
and  the  Chippewas  they  kept  a  continual  "war, 
until,  as   Black  Hawk  says,  in  his  life   by   Le 


♦Carver's  Travels,  p45. 


HISTORY  OF  (CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


IS"? 


Clerc,  they  discovered  the  beautiful  country  on 
Rock  river,  the  occupants  of  which  were  weak 
and  unable  to  defend  themselves.  Of  this  coun- 
try they  took  possession,  driving  off  the  former 
occupants  This  being  tlie  way  this  banded 
confederated  tribe  got  possession  of  the  coun- 
tries they  occupied,  we  can  have  the  less  pity 
for  them,  even  if  their  sorrowful  story  of  frauds 
practiced  upon    them  by  the  whites  were  true. 

Somewhere  between  lV06  and  1786,  they  must 
have  moved  to  the  Wisconsin;  and  they  were 
there  as  late  as  ITOO,  asl  was  informed  by 
Mitchael  Cadotte,  who  showed  me  mounds  with 
holes  in  them  for  breast  works,  about  five  miles 
north  of  the  falls  of  Chippewa  river,  wliich  were 
made  by  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  when  warring 
against  the  Cliippewas.  The  chief  of  the  Foxes, 
who  was  first  found  by  the  whites  at  Prairie  du 
Chien,  was  named  Dog;  and  the  prairie  upon 
which  he  built  his  town,  was  called  his,  or  Dog's 
prairif. 

After  the  Sauks  and  Foxes  left  the  Wiscon- 
sin and  the  country  north  of  it,  and  took  up 
their  abode  on  Rock  river  and  west  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi, the  Winnebagoes  moved  from  the 
vicinity  of  the  lake  of  their  name,  to  the  coun- 
try vacated  by  the  former;  at  what  date  is  un- 
certain. But  as  the  Sauks  and  Foxes  were  here 
in  1790,  and  not  here  in  1S05  when  Lieut. 
Pike  ascended  the  river,  the  VVinnebagoes  came 
here  prol)ably  about  ihe  beginning  of  the  pres- 
ent century.  At  this  ])eriod  the  Sioux,  Chij)- 
pewas  and  Winnebagoes,  were  the  occupants  of 
the  soil  as  limiting  grounds.  The  Menomonees 
claiming  a  part  of  the  country  west  of  the  Wis- 
consin, and  above  the  Portage.  In  18-25  the 
the  nirtes  and  bounds  of  these  respective  claim- 
ants were  settled,  in  a  general  council  of  all  the 
trihcs  within  reach;  and  continued  so  tintil  1837, 
when  the  Sioux  and  \\  iiinebagoes  sold  out  to 
the  United  States  a' I  of  llieir  claims  east  of  the 
Mississippi,  and  the  Chippewas  sold  all  they 
claimed  to  it,  south  of  46  deg.  north  latitude. 
And  «iiliin  ten  years  the  Chipiiewas  and 
Menomonees  have    sold   out    the    remainder  of 


their    claims,  so    that   the   Indian   title    to  the 
soil  is  now  fully  extinguished. 

OF  EARLY  INDIAN  AFFAIRS. 

The  fur  traders  and  missionaries  were  at- 
tracted to  this  distant  quarter  by  nothing  save 
the  Indian  settlements.  There  was  at  first  no 
habitation  of  the  red  men  at  Prairie  du  Chien 
or  in  that  immediate  neighborhood.  The  Foxes, 
the  Miamis,  Kickapoos  and  Mascouting  were 
confederate  tribes,  seated  east  of  the  portage 
of  the  Wisconsin.  The  Sioux  and  Iowa  tribes, 
somewhat  similarly  allied,  were  above  and 
across  tlie  great  river.  Between  the.<e  two 
confederations  there  was  a  continual  warfare, 
which  kept  a  large  district  of  country  between 
them  unoccupied  and  uninhabitable.  It  was  a 
war  party  of  Sioux, in  pursuit  of  the  Miamis, that 
took  Hennepin  prisoner.  Perrot,  in  16^5,  with 
difficulty  prevented  the  capture  of  his  post  near 
Lake  Pepin  by  an  expedition  of  Foxes  and  tiieir 
allies,  who  designed  turning  his  ammunition 
against  their  hereditary  enemies.  The  journal 
of  Le  Sueur  gives  further  incidents  of  asiinilar 
nature. 

The  region  about  the  mouth  of  the  Wiscon- 
sin was  notoriously  infested  by  predatory  l)ands 
and  warlike  expeditions  from  one  side  or  the 
other.  The  efforts  of  the  French  to  establish  a 
trade  with  the  Sioux  were  met  at  first  by  re- 
monstrances from  the  Foxes,  because  their 
sanguinary  enemies  were  thus  supplied  with 
fire  arms  and  ammunition.  Being  unheeded, 
they  determined  to  close  the  road  to  tiie  Mis- 
sissippi by  way  of  the  Wisconsin,  which  lay 
through  their  country,  and  visit  vengeance  upon 
all  who  attempted  to  pass  that  way.  This  was 
so  far  effectual,  as  early  as  1699,  that  none  ven- 
tured to  take  that  route  if  they  could  avoi<l  it. 
Tiie  French  endeavored  to  chastise  and  bring 
these  troublesome  people  to  terms,  and  a  long 
period  of  bloody  opposition  followed.  Laper- 
riere's  expedition  made  its  wa\'  to  the  Missis- 
sippi during  a  lull  in  tlic  hostilities;  their  re- 
vival caused  the  abandonment  of  the  enterprise, 
as  already  stated.     Finally,  the  greater  portion 


1'2S 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


of  the  Fox  tribe,  if  not  all,  withdrew  from  the 
river,  which  bears  their  name,  and  established 
themselves  in  the  valley  of  the  Wisconsin, 
about  its  mouth,  somewhere  near  1750. 

Thus,  instead  of  being  attracted  to  the  shores 
in  this  derelict  region,  the  voyageurs  a,nd  traders 
avoided  them  as  much  as  possible,  whenever 
they  traveled  the  dangerous  route.  The  li- 
censed traders  were  attached  to  the  interests 
of  the  government  and  made  instruments 
of  extending  its  territorial  jurisdiction  by 
being  given  a  sort  of  quasi  military  com- 
mand over  their  employes,  and  at  places  con- 
venient for  their  traffic,  erected  block  houses  or 
stockades,  which  they  held  in  the  name  of  the 
king,  at  their  own  expense.  These  were  the 
only  posts  or  garrisons  ever  established  by  the 
French  west  of  Green  bay.  There  was  no  in- 
ducement whatever  for  such  a  post  in  the  vi- 
cinity of  the  Prairie.  The  reference  in  Perrot's 
official  minute  indited  at  Green  bay,  in  1689, 
to  the  trader,  De  Borie  Guillot,  as  commanding 
the  French  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Wiscon- 
sin on  the  Mississippi,  has  been  assumed  as 
evidence  of  the  existence  at  that  time  of  a  post 
at  Prairie  du  Chien.  With  reference  to  this 
assumption,  it  is  only  necessary  to  remark  that 
the  lowas  were  the  only  Indians  seated  in  the 
neighborliood,  and  they  were  upon  the  oppo- 
site side  of  the  Mississippi,  about  Yellow  river. 
If  that  trader  had  any  established  post,  whichjs 
altogether  improbable,  it  is  neither  designated 
by  name  or  locality,  nor  referred  to  in  any 
way.* 

At  the  beginning  of  the  war  between  France 
and    Great   Britain,  in  1754,  the    former   made 

*In  a  subsequent  chapter,  the  question  as  to  whether 
there  was  ever  a  French  tort  at  Prairie  du  Chien,  is  fully 
discussed. 


peace  with  the  Foxes,  some  of  whom  subse- 
quently enlisted  under  their  banner.  This  re- 
conciliation and  the  establishment  of  that  tribe 
at  tlie  mouth  of  the  Wisconsin,  by  opening  the 
way  for  the  traders,  made  an  entire  change  in 
affairs.  Tlie  place  is  now  heard  of  for  the  first 
time,  as  the  seat  of  a  village  of  the  Foxes, 
known  among  the  traders  by  a  name  derived 
from  that  of  their  principal  chief,  Alim,  or  in 
the  French  language,  Cliien,  the  dog  ;  hence. 
La  Prairie  les  Chiens,  signifying  the  Prairie  of 
the  Dogs,  which  has  been  modified  to  its  pres- 
ent form,  Prairie  du  Chien.  There  was  no 
effort,  however,  to  extend  the  authority  of 
France  in  this  direction;  its  attention  was  with- 
drawn and  its  energies  concentrated  to  retain 
possession  of  Canada,  and  with  the  surrender 
of  that  province  to  the  British,  in  1760,  all  its 
claims  upon  the  northwest,  as  far  as  the  Mis- 
sissippi, were  totally  abandoned. 

In  1781  the  Foxes  sold  the  prairie  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Wisconsin  to  some  Canadian- 
French  traders,  and  subsequently  vacated  their 
village,  but  at  what  precise  date  cannot  be  de- 
termined. Their  withdrawal,  doubtless,  oc- 
curred within  a  few  years  in  the  course  of  the 
general  migration  of  that  Nation,  by  whicii  its 
occupancy  of  the  region  upon  the  north  side  of 
the  Wisconsin  was  abandoned,  and  its  southern 
borders  extended  to  Rock  Island.  It  should  be 
remarked,  however,  that  their  bands  frequented 
the  place  as  long  as  it  continued  to  be  a  place 
of  resort  for  the  neighboring  Indian  tribes  for 
purposes  of  trade.  The  country  abandoned  by 
them  was  soon  occupied  by  the  Winnebagoes, 
from  Chippewa  river  to  the  Wisconsin,  except 
that  they  laid  no  claim  to  the  prairie. 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


129 


CHAPTER     IV 


EARLY  EXPLORATIONS. 


The  territory  now  included  within  the  limits 
of  Crawford  county,  was  first  visited  along  its 
southern  border  in  )6'13  by  Frenchmen,  from  tlie 
river  St.  Lawrence,  in  Canada.  The  first  to 
approach  this  region  of  country  was  John  Nico- 
let,  in  1634,  who  came  no  nearer  than  to  the 
village  of  the  Mascoutins,  on  Fox  river,  supposed 
to  have  been  located  somewhere  on  that  stream 
within  the  present  boundaries  of  Green  Lake 
Co.,  Wis.  A  Jesuit  missionary,  in  1670,  also 
visited  the  Mascoutins.  His  name  was  Claude 
Allouez;  but  he  came  no  nearer  what  is  now 
Crawford  county,  than  did  Nicolet,  in  16.34. 

EXPEDITION  OF  LOUIS  .lOLlET. 

In  1 673,  Louis  Joliet,  accompanied  by  a  mis- 
sionary, James  Marquette,  and  five  other  French- 
men, ascended  the  Fox  river  to  the  portage,  now 
Portage,  Columbia  Co.,  Wis.;  crossed  over  to 
the  Wisconsin  river  and  dropped  down  that 
river  to  its  mouth.  Thence,  Joliet  journeyed 
down  the  Mississippi. 

In  the  month  of  June,  167.3,  two  frail  birch- 
bark  canoes  glided  down  the  current  of  the 
Wisconsin  river.  It  was  the  first  time  the  rip- 
ples on  its  broad  bosom  were  stirred  by  the  oar 
of  a  white  man.  The  canoes  bore  Louis  Joliet 
and  Father  James  Marquette  with  five  attend- 
ants in  quest  of  the  great  river  toward  the  west, 
of  which  the  French  on  the  u])per  lakes  had 
heard  from  the  Indians.  On  the  seventeenth  of 
the  month  (corresponding  to  the  twenty-eighth, 
new  style),  their  eager  eyes  beheld  the  Missis- 
sippi. They  entered  its  current,  as  the  mission- 
ary relates,  turned  their  canoes  into  its  channel, 
and  with  joy  inexpressible,  let  their  canoes  gent- 


ly glide  with  the  water,  while  they  sounded  its 
depths.  They  observed,  attentively,  the  pecu- 
liarities of  the  majestic  river  and  the  surround- 
ing scenery  as  they  proceeded  on  their  voyage. 
Marquette's  account  is  silent  respecting  the 
vicinity  of  Prairie  du  Chien,  doubtless  because 
everything  in  that  direction  was  hidden  from 
observation  by  a  belt  of  woodland  thaUformerly 
skirted  the  Wisconsin. 

He  says: 

"We  knew  that  there  was,  three  leagues  from 
Maskoutins,  a  river  emptying  into  the  Missis- 
sippi; we  knew  too,  that  the  point  of  the  compass 
we  were  to  hold  to  reach  it,  was  the  west-south- 
west; but  the  way  is  so  cut  up  by  marshes  and 
little  lakes,  that  it  is  easy  to  go  astray,  especial- 
ly as  the  river  leading:  to  it  is  so  covered  with 
wild  oats,  that  you  can  hardly  discover  the 
channel.  Hence,  we  had  good  need  of  our  two 
guides,  who  led  us  safely  to  a  portage  of  2,700 
paces,  and  helped  us  to  transport  our  canoes  to 
enter  this  river,  after  which  they  returned, 
leaving  us  alone  in  an  unknown  country  in  the 
hands  of  Providence. 

"We  now  leave  the  waters  which  flow  to  Que- 
bec, a  distance  of  400  or  500  leagues,  to  follow 
those  which  will  henceforth  lead  us  into  strange 
lands.  Before  embarking,  we  all  began  to- 
gether a  new  devotion  to  tlie  Blessed  Virgin 
Immaculate,  which  we  practiced  every  day,  ad- 
dressing her  particular  prayers  to  put  under  her 
protection  both  our  ])ersons  and  the  success  of 
our  voyage.  Then  after  having  encouraged  one 
another,  we  got  into  our  canoes.  The  river  on 
which  we  embarked  is  called  the  Meskousing;  it 


130 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


is  very  'broad,  with  a  sandy  bottom,  forming 
many  shallows,  which  rendered  navigation  very 
difficult.  It  is  full  of  vine-clad  islets.  On  the 
banks  appear  fertile  lands  diversified  with  wood, 
prairie  and  hill.  Ileie  you  find  oaks,  walnut, 
whitewood,  and  another  kind  of  tree  with 
branches  armed  with  long  thorns.  "\Ye  saw  no 
small  game  or  fish,  but  deer  and  moose  in  con- 
siderable numbers. 

"Our  route  was  southwest,  and  after  sailing 
about  thirty  leagues,  we  perceived  a  place  which 
had  all  the  appearances  of  an  iron  mine,  and  in 
fact,  one  of  our  party  who  had  seen  some  before, 
averred  that  the  one  we  had  found  was  very 
good  and  very  rich.  It  is  covered  with  three 
feet  of  good  earth,  very  near  a  chain  of  rock, 
whose  base  is  covered  with  fine  timber.  After 
forty  leagues  on  the  same  route,  we  reached  the 
mouth  of  our  river,  and  finding  ourselves  at  -ii^ 
deg.  north,  we  safely  entered  the  Mississippi  on 
the  17th  of  June,  with  a  joy  that  I  cannot  ex- 
press." 

Louis  Joliet,  with  his  companion  James  Mar- 
quette, and  the  five  other  Frenchmen  were  the 
first  white  men  who  ever  set  foot  upon  any  part 
of  whit  is  now  Crawford  county. 

The  next  visit  of  any  white  men  to  Crawford 
county  was  in  1680,  upon  the 

EXPEDITION  or  MICHAEL  ACCAU. 

In  1680  La  Salle,  who  was  then  on  the  Illinois 
river,  was  desirous  to  have  the  Mississippi  ex- 
plored above  the  point  where  it  was  first  seen  by 
Joliet;  that  is,  above  the  mouth  of  the  Wisconsin 
river;  so  he  dispatched  one  Michael  Accau,  on 
an  expedition  thither;  with  him  were  Anloine 
Augiiel  and  the  Rev.  Louis  Hennepin,  a  recol- 
let  friar.  The  party  proceeded  down  the  Illinois 
river  in  April  and  up  the  Mississippi  river. 
They  were  the  second  white  men  who  ever  saw 
any  |iortion  of  what  is,  at  this  time,  Crawford 
county,  or  who  set  foot  upon  its  territory.  This 
was  in  May,  1680.  The  leader  of  this  party  was 
Accau;  Father  Louis  Hennepin  wrote  the  account 
here  given.     It  was  first  published  in  168.3. 


"  We  set  out  from  Fort  Creve  Coeur  [on  the 
Illinois  river]  the  29th  of  February,  1680,  and 
toward  evening,  wliile  descending  the  river 
Seignelay  [Illinois]  we  met  on  our  way  several 
parties  from  Illinois  returning  to  their  village 
in  their  periaguas  or  gondolas  loaded  with  meat. 
They  would  have  obliged  us  to  return,  our  two 
boatmen  were  strongly  influenced,  but  as  they 
would  have  had  to  pass  by  Fort  Creve  Coeur, 
where  our  Frenchmen  would  have  stopped  them, 
we  pursued  our  way  the  next  day,  and  my  two 
men  afterward  confessed  the  design  which  they 
had  entertained. 

"The  river  Seignelay  on  which  we  were  s.ail- 
ing,  is  as  deep  and  broad  as  the  Seine  at  Paris, 
and  in  two  or  three  places  widens  out  to  a 
quarter  of  a  league.  It  is  ski'ted  by  liills, 
whose  sides  are  covered  with  fine.  Large  trees. 
Some  of  these  hills  are  lialf  a  league  apart,  leav- 
ing between  them  a  marshy  strip,  often  inun- 
dated, especially  in  the  autumn  and  spring,  but 
producing,  nevertheless,* very  large  trees.  On 
ascending  these  hills  you  discover  prairies  fur- 
ther than  the  eye  can  reach,  studded,  at  inter- 
vals, with  groves  of  tall  trees,  apparently  plant- 
ed there  intentionally.  The  current  of  the  river 
is  not  perceptible,  except  in  time  of  great  rains; 
it  is  at  all  times  navigable  for  large  barks  about 
a  hundred  leagues,  from  its  mouth  to  the  Illi- 
nois village,  whence  its  course  almost  always 
runs  south  by  west. 

"  On  the  7th  of  March  we  found,  about  two 
leagues  from  its  mouth,  a  Nation  called  Tama- 
roa,  or  Maroa,  composed  of  200  families.  'I  hey 
would  have  taken  us  to  their  village  lying  west 
of  the  river  Colbert,  six  or  seven  leagues  be- 
low the  mouth  of  the  river  Seignelay  ;  but  our 
two  canoemen,  in  hopes  of  still  greater  gain, 
preferred  to  pass  on,  according  to  the  advice  I 
then  gave  them.  These  last  Indians  seeing  that 
we  carried  iron  and  arms  to  their  enemies,  and 
unable  to  overtake  us  in  their  periaguas,  which 
are  wooden  canoes,  much  heavier  than  our  bark 
one,  which  went  much  faster  than  their  boats, 
dispatched  some  of  their  young   men   after  us 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


131 


by  1,'ind,  to  pierce  us  with  their  arrows  at  some 
narrow  part  of  the  river,  but  in  vain  ;  for  soon 
discovering  the  fire  made  by  these  warriors  at 
their  ambuscade,  we  promptly  crossed  the  river, 
gained  the  other  side,  and  encamped  on  an 
island,  leaving  our  canoe  loaded  and  our  little 
dog  to  wake  us,  so  as  to  embark  more  expedi- 
tiously, should  the  Indians  attempt  to  surprise 
us  by  swimming  across. 

"Soon  after  leaving  these  Indians,  we  came 
to  the  mouth  of  the  river  Seignelay,  fifty  leagues 
distant  from  Fort  Creve  Cceur,  and  about  100 
leagues  from  the  great  Illinois  village.  It  lies 
between  36  deg.  and  37  deg.  north  latitude,  and 
consequently  120  or  thirty  leagues  from  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico. 

"In  the  angle  formed  on  the  south  by  this 
river,  at  its  mouth,  is  a  flat  precipitous  rock, 
about  forty  feet  high,  very  well  suited  for 
building  a  fort.  On  the  northern  side,  opposite 
the  rock,  and  on  the  west  side  beyond  the  river, 
are  fields  of  black  earth,  the  end  of  which  you 
can  not  see,  all  ready  for  cultivation,  which 
would  be  very  advantageous  for  the  existence 
of  a  colony.  The  ice  which  floated  down  from 
the  north  kept  us  in  this  place  till  the  12th  of 
March,  whence  we  continued  our  route,  travers- 
ing the  river  and  sounding  on  all  sides  to  see 
whether  it  was  navigable.  There  arc,  indeed, 
three  islets  in  the  middle,  near  the  mouth  of 
the  river  Seignelay,  which  stop  the  floating 
wood  and  trees  from  the  north  and  form  sev- 
eral large  sand-bars,  yet  the  channels  are  deep 
enough,  and  there  is  siiflicicnt  water  for  barks ; 
large  flat-boats  can  pass  there  at  all  times. 

"The  river  Colbert  [Mississipi)i]  runs  south- 
southwest,  and  comes  from  the  north  and  north- 
west; it  runs  between  two  chains  of  mountains, 
very  small  here,  which  wind  with  the  river,and 
in  some  places  arc;  pretty  far  from  the  banks, 
so  that  between  the  mountains  and  the  river 
there  are  large  prairies,  where  you  often  see 
herds  of  wild  cattle  l)rowsing.  In  other  places 
these  eminences  leave  semi-circular  spots 
covered  with  grass    or    wood.      Beyond    these 


mountains  you  discover  vast  plains,  but  the 
more  we  approached  the  northern  side  ascend- 
ing,the  earth  did  not  appear  to  us  so  fertile,  nor 
the  woods  so  beautiful  as  in  the  Illinois 
country. 

"This  great  river  is  almost  everywhere  a  short 
league  in  width,  and  in  some  places,  two 
leagues;  it  is  divided  by  a  number  of  islands 
covered  with  trees,  interlaced  with  so  many 
vines  as  to  be  almost  impassable.  It  receiveB 
no  considerable  river  on  the  western  side  except 
that  of  the  Olontenta  and  another,  which  comes 
from  the  west-northwest,  seven  or  eight  leagues 
from  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony,  of  Padua.  On 
the  eastern  side  you  meet  first  an  inconsider- 
able river,  and  then  further  on  another,  called 
by  the  Indians  Ouisconsin,  or  Wisconsin,  which 
comes  from  the  east  and  east-northeast.  Sixty 
leagues  up  you  leave  it,  and  make  a  portage  of 
half  a  league  to  reach  the  bay  of  the  Puana 
[Green  bay]  by  another  river  which,  near  its 
source,  meanders  most  curiously.  It  is  almost 
as  broad  as  the  river  Seignelay,  or  Illinois,  and 
empties  into  the  river  Colbert,  100  leagues 
above  the  river  Seignelay. 

"Twenty-four  leagues  above,  you  come  to  the 
Black  river,  called  by  the  Nadouessious 
[Sioux],  or  Islati,  Chabadeba,  or  Cbabaoudeba, 
it  seems  inconsiderable.  Thirty  leagues  higher 
up.  you  find  the  Lake  of  Tears  [Pepin],  which 
we  so  named  because  the  Indians  who  had 
taken  us,  wishing  to  kill  us,  some  of  them 
wept  the  whole  night,  to  induce  the  others  to 
consent  to  our  death.  This  lake  which  is 
formed  by  the  river  Colbert,  is  seven  leagues 
long  and  about  four  wide;  there  is  no  consider- 
able current  in  the  middle  that  we  could 
perceive,  but  only  at  its  entrance  and  exit.  Half 
a  league  below  the  Lake  of  Tears,  on  the  south 
side,  is  Buffalo  river,  full  of  turtles.  It  is  so 
called  by  the  Indians  on  account  of  the  num- 
bers of  buffalo  found  there.  We  followed  it 
for  ten  or  twelve  leagues;  it  empties  with 
rapidity  into  the  river  Colbert,  but  as  you 
ascend  it,  it  is   always   gentle   and    free  from 


132 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


rapids.  It  is  skirted  by  mountains,  far  enough 
off  in  some  places  to  form  prairies.  The  mouth 
is  wooded  on  both  sides,  and  is  full  as  wide  as 
that  of  the  Seignelay." 

EXPEDITION    OF    DULUTH. 

The  next  expedition  independent  of  that  of 
Accau,  and  down  the  Mississippi  from  the  St. 
Croix  to  the  Wisconsin  river,  and,  therefore, 
along  the  western  border  of  what  is  now  Craw- 
ford county,  was  that  of  Daniel  Greysolon  Dii- 
Lhiit,  generally  known  as  Duluth.  He  and  some 
companions,  in  1680,  made  the  journey  across 
from  Lake  Superior  to  the  Mississippi  by  way 
of  Rois  Brule  river  and  the  St.  Croix.  Upon 
reaching  the  Mississippi,  he  learned  the  fact 
that  some  Frenchmen  had  passed  \w  and  had 
been  robbed  and  carried  off  by  the  Sioux 
This  was  Accau  and  his  parly.  These,  however, 
he  finally  induced  the  Indians  to  liberate,  and 
the  whole  party  floated  down  the  river  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Wisconsin,  returning  by  that 
stream  to  Mackinaw. 

THE    MISSISSIPPI    VISITED    BY    I.E  SUEUR. 

LeSueur,  a  Frenchman,  passed  up  the  Miss- 
issippi from  the  mouth  of  the  Wisconsin  in 
1683  ;  but  of  this  voyage  we  have  no  account, 
only  that  he  was  on  his  way  to  the  Sioux 
country. 

PERROt's    voyage  TO  THE  WEST. 

Nicholas  Parrot  was  the  next  to  ascend  the 
Mississippi;  and  his  was  the  fourth  expedition 
that  had  floated  along  the  western  border  of 
what  is  now  Crawford  county.  This  was  in 
1684.  Perrot  had  been  appointed  by  the  gov- 
ernor of  Canada  to  command  in  the  west, 
leaving  Montreal  with  twenty  men.  His  object 
was  the  establishing  of  a  post  on  the  Missis- 
sippi. He  proceeded  from  the  St.  Lawrence  to 
Green  bay,  and  up  the  Fox  river  to  the  Portage; 
thence  down  the  Wisconsin  and  up  the  Missis- 
sippi to  Lake  Pepin,  on  the  east  side  of  which, 
near  its  mouth,  he  erected  a  stockade. 

Tlie  next  year  he  prevented  with  a  good  deal 
of  difficulty  the  capture  of  his  post  by  the  Fox 
lutlians  and  their  allies.     He  passed  the  winter 


of  1085-6  in  his  stockade,  and  then  returned  to 
Green  bay  by  the  same  route  traveled  by  him 
when  going  out.  In  1688  he  again  ascended 
the  Mississippi  from  the  mouth  of  the  Wiscon- 
sin to  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Peters,  and  returned 
by  the  same  route  to  Green  bay.  This  ended 
the  explorations  of  Perrot  in  the  valley  of  the 
Mississippi. 

LE  SDEUR  AGAIN   ON  THE  MISSISSIPPI. 

In  the  year  1700  the  fifth  explorer  ascended 
the  Mississippi.  His  name  was  Le  Sueur,  the 
same  who  had  seventeen  years  before  been 
among  the  Sioux.  From  the  1st  of  September 
until  the  5th  he  advanced  but  fourteen  leagues. 
It  is  probable  he  landed  several  times  in  what 
is  now- Crawford  county.  LeSueur  was  the 
last  to  ascend  the  Mississippi  until  1727,  when 
Sieur  La  Perriere  attempted  a  renewal  of  the 
fur  trade  which  the  governor  of  Canada  liad 
resolved  to  abandon  west  of  Mackinaw,  some 
time  previous. 

LA  PERRIERE    BUILDS  A  FORT  ON  LAKE  PEPIN. 

"  Fort  Beauharnais,"  on  Lake  Pepin,  was 
erected  by  La  Perriere,  but  it  was  not  long  oc- 
cupied as  a  military  post.  The  same  year,  a 
Jesuit  missionary,  Louis  Ignatius  Guignas,  at- 
tempted to  found  a  mission  among  the  Sioux 
on  the  upper  Mississippi,  passing  up  the  river 
for  tliat  purpose  to  Fort  Beauharnais,  but  it 
proved  a  failure.  He  was  on  the  Mississippi 
again  in  1736,  and  at  Lake  Pepin,  with  M.  de 
St  Pierre,  but  of  his  latter  voyage  little  is 
known.  From  this  time  until  the  war  of  175J- 
60,  between  France  and  Great  Britain,  French 
traders  at  intervals  passed  up  the  Mississippi  ; 
but  during  that  conflict  tlie  river  was  totally 
abandoned  by  Frenchmen. 

THE  JOURNEY  OF  JONATHAN  CARVER. 

The  first  to  ascend  the  river  after  Great 
Britain  had  assumed  control  of  the  country, 
was  Jonathan  Carver.  In  1766  he  reached  the 
mouth  of  the  Wisconsin,  just  above  which  he 
found  an  Indian  village  called  La  Prairies  les 
Chiens  by  the  French,  the  site  of  the  present 
village  of  Prairie  du  Chien,    in    Crawford  Co., 


«?'■' 


6i4^t^ 


^.  ^e^^zK 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


135 


Wis.     It  was  inhabited    by    the   Fox   Indians. 
He  say.s  the  name  meant  Dog  Plains. 

"It  ('Prairies  les  Chiens')  is  a  large  town  and 
contains  about  300  families;  the  houses  are  well 
built  after  the  Indian  manner,  and  pleasantly 
situated  on  a  very  rich  .soil,  from  which  they 
raise  every  necessary  of  life  in  great  abundance. 
I  saw  here  many  horses  of  a  good  size  and 
shape.  This  town  is  the  great  mart  where  all 
the  adjacent  tribes,  and  even  those  who  inhabit 
the  most  remote  branches  of  the  Mississippi, 
annually  assemble  about  the  latter  end  of  May, 
bringing  with  them  their  furs  to  dispose  of  to 
the  traders.  But  it  is  not  always  that  they  con- 
clude their  sale  here  ;  this  is  determined  by  a 
general  council  of  the  chiefs,  who  consult 
whether  it  would  be  more  conducive  to  their  in- 
terest to  sell  theii'  goods  at  this  place,  or  carry 
them  on  to  Louisiana  or  Michillimackinac. 
According  to  the  decision  of  this  council  they 
either  proceed  further,  or  return  to  their  differ- 
ent homes. 

"The  Mississippi,  at  (he  entrance  of  the  Wis- 
consin, near  which  stands  a  mountain  of  ccnisid- 
eralile  licighl,  is  about  li:ilf  a  milr  over  ;  !  ut 
opposite  to  the  last  mciitionecl  town  it  appears 
to  be  more  than  a  mile  wide,  and  full  of  islaiids, 
the  soil  ol'  which  is  extraordinarily  rich,  and 
but  thinly  wooded. 

"A  little  further  to  the  west,  on  the  contrary 
side,  a  small  river  flows  into  the  Mississippi, 
which  the  French  call  Le  Jaun  Riviere,  or  the 
Yellow  river.  I  then  bought  a  canoe,  and  with 
t«'o  servants,  one  a  French  Canadian,  and  the 
other  a  Moiiawk  of  Canada,  on  the  lOth  pro- 
ceeded up  the  Mississippi."         *         *         * 

"About  sixty  miles  below  this  lake  is  a  moun- 
tain remarkably  situated;  for  it  stands  by  itself 
exactly  in  the  middle  of  the  river,  and  looks  as 
if  it  had  slidden  from  the  adjacent  shore  into 
the  stream.  It  cannot  be  termed  an  island,  as 
it  rises  immediately  from  the  brink  of  the  water 
to  a  considerable  height.  Hoth  the  Indians  and 
the  French  call  it  the  mountain  in  the  river. 


"One  day,  having  landed  on  the  shore  of  the 
Mississippi,    some    miles   below    Lake    Pepin, 
whilst  my  attendants  were    preparing  my  din- 
ner, I  walked  out  to  take  a  view  of  the  adjacent 
country.     I  had  not  proceeded  far  before  I  came 
to  a    fine,  level,    open    plain,    on    which    I  per- 
ceived at  a    little    distance  a    partial    elevation 
that  had  the  appearance    of    an    intrenchment. 
On  a  nearer  inspection   I  had  greater  reason  to 
suppose  that    it   had    really    been    intended  for 
this   many    centuries    ago.       Notwithstanding 
it  was  now  covered  with  grass,  I   could   plainly 
discern  that  it  had  once  been    a  breast  work  of 
about  four  feet    in   height,    extending    the  best 
part   of   a   mile,    and    sufficienly    capacious   to 
cover  5,000  men.     Its  form  was  somewhat   cir- 
cular,   and    its    flanks   reached   to    the    river. 
Though  much  defaced  by  time,  every  angle  was 
distinguishable,  and    appeared  as    regular,  and 
fashioned    with   as    much   military    skill,  as  if 
planned   by  Vauban    himself.     The  ditch   was 
not  visible,  but  I  thought   on    examining   more 
curiously,  that  I  could  perceive  there  certainly 
had  been  one.     From    this  situation  also   I  am 
convinced  that  it  must  have  been  for  this  pur- 
pose.    It  fronted  the  conntry,  and  the  rear  was 
covered  by  the  river.  ;  nor  was  there  any  rising 
ground  for  a  considerable  way  that  commanded 
it  ;  a  few  straggling  oaks  were  alone  to  be  seen 
near    it.      In    many  places   small    tracks    were 
across  it  by  the  feet  of   the   elk   and   deer,  and 
from  the  depth  of  the  bed  of  earth  by  which  it 
was  covered,  I  was  able  to  draw  certain  conclu- 
sions of  its  great  antiquity.     I  examined  all  ilu 
angles  and  every  part  with  great  attention   and 
have  often  blamed  myself  since  for  not  encani])- 
ing  on  the  spot,  and  drawing  an  exact    plan    of 
it.     To  show  that  this  description  is  not  the  <'ff'- 
spring  of  a  heated  imagination,  or  the   chimeri- 
cal tale  of  a   mistaken    traveler,   I    find   on    in- 
quiry since  my    return,    that   Mons  St.   Pierre, 
and  several  traders,    have,    at   different    times, 
taken  notice  of  similar  appearances,  on    whicli 
they    have  formed    the  same  conjectures,    but 
without  examining  them  so  minutely  as  I    did. 


9 


136 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


How  a  work  of  this  kind  could  exist  in  a  coun- 
try that  has  hitherto  (according  to  the  general 
received  opinion)  been  the  seat  of  war  to  un- 
tutored Indians  alone,  whose  whole  stock  of 
military  knowledge  has  only,  till  within  two- 
centuries,  amounted  to  drawing  the  bow,  and 
whose  only  breast  work  even  at  present  is  the 
thicket,  I  know  not.  I  have  given  as  exact  an 
account  as  possible  of  this  singular  appearance, 
and  leave  to  future  explorers  of  these  distant 
regions  to  discover  whether  it  is  a  production 
of  nature  or  art.  Perhdps  the  hints  I  have  here 
given  might  lead  to  a  more  perfect  investiga- 
tion of  it,  and  give  us  very  different  ideas  of 
the  ancient  state  of  realms  that  we  at  present 
believe  to  have  been  from  the  earliest  periods 
only  in  the  inhabitatiou.s  of  savages. 

"The  Mississippi  below  this  lake  flows  with 
a  gentle  current,  but  the  breadth  of  it  very 
uncertain,  in  some  places  being  upward  of  a 
mile,  in  others  not  more  than  a  quarter.  This 
river  has  a  range  of  mountains  on  each  side 
throughout  the  whole  of  the  way,  which  in  par- 
ticular parts  approach  near  to  it,  in  others  lie  at 
a  greater  distance.  The  land  betwixt  the  moun- 
tains, and  on  their  sides,  is  generally  covered 
with  grass,  with  a  few  groves  of  trees  inter- 
spersed, near  which  large  droves  of  deer  and 
elk  are  frequently  seen  feeding.  In  many 
places  pyramids  of  rocks  appeared,  resembling 
old  ruinous  towers;  at  other  amazing  preci- 
pices, and  what  is  very  remarkable,  whilst  this 
scene  presented  itself  on  one  side,  the  opposite 
side  of  the  .rame  mountain  was  covered  with  the 
finest  herbage,  which  gradually  ascended  to  its 
summit.  From  thenee  the  most  beautiful  and 
extensive  prospect  that  imagination  can  form 
opens  to  your  view.  Verdant  plains,  fruitful 
m^eadows,  numerous  islands,  and  all  these 
abounding  with  a  variety  of  trees  that  yield 
amazing  quantities  of  fruit,  without  care  or 
cultivation, such  as  the  nut-tree, the  maple  which 
produces  sugar,  vines  loaded  with  rich  grapes, 
and  plum  trees  bending  under  their  blooming 
burdens;    but   above  all,   the   fine    river  flow- 


ing gently  beneath,  and  reaching  as  far  as  the 
eye  can  extend,  by  turns  attract  your  attention 
and  excite  your  wonder." 

The  following  excellent  summary  of  explora- 
tions from  DuLuth  to  Carver,  is  from  the  Illus- 
trated Historical  Atlas  of  Wisconsin  of  1878: 

"In  1680,  the  trader  DuLuth  was  at  the  head 
of  Lake  Superior;  and  at  the  same  time,  LaSalle 
was  on  the  Illinois  river.  The  latter  dis- 
patched Father  Louis  Hennepin,  with  two  com- 
panions to  e.xplore  that  river  to  its  mouth. 
From  this  point  they  turned  their  canoe  up  the 
Mississippi,  and  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Sioux, 
who  led  them  captive  to  their  home  above  the 
falls  of  St.  Anthony,  where  they  passed  the 
winter.  The  following  summer,  168],  Henne- 
pin represented  to  his  captors  that  he  expected 
a  party  of  Frenchmen  at  the  Wisconsin  with 
merchandise,  which  induced  them  to  set  out  in 
canoes  to  meet  the  traders,  the  Father  being 
permitted  to  follow.  The  party  in  advance, 
upon  reaching  the  Wisconsin  and  finding  no 
Frenchmen,  retraced  their  course  and  met  their 
prisoner  with  severe  reproaches  for  deceiving 
them.  DuLuth,  hearing  of  these  men,  de- 
scended the  St.  Croix  with  five  attendants  and 
joined  them  on  the  Mississippi,  whereupon 
taking  Hennepin  under  his  protection,  the 
whole  party  proceeded  down  the  Mississippi 
and  by  way  of  the  Wisconsin  to  Green  bay, 
stopping  within  a  day  or  two's  journey  of  the 
Wisconsin,  to  smoke  some  meat. 

"Nicholas  Perrot  proceeded  by  this  route  to 
visit  the  Sioux  in  168.3.  He  was  at  the  time,  or 
soon  afterward,  commissioned  by  the  governor 
of  Canada  to  manage  the  interests  of  commerce 
from  Green  bay  westward.  He  built  a  small 
log  fort  nearly  opposite  tlie  mouth  of  Chippewa 
river,  which  he  appears  to  have  made  his  winter 
headquarters  for  several  years.  It  was  called 
the  post  of  the  Nadouessioux  (Sioux).  De 
Borie  Guillot  is  mentioned  by  Charlevoix  as 
trading  near  the  Mississippi,  whfence  he  was  re- 
called in  16SV;  and  is  cited  by  Perrot  as  com- 
manding the  French  traders    in    the    neighbor- 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


137 


hood  of  the  Wisconsin  on  the  Mississippi.  Le- 
Sueiir,  in  1683,  descended  tlie  Wisconsin  and 
ascended  tlie  Mississippi  to  tlie  Sioux  in  the 
region  about  St.  Anthony,  with  whom  he  con- 
tinued to  trade  at  intervals  until  1702.  His 
last  voyage  was  made  from  Louisiana,  the 
governor  of  Canada  refusing  permission,  having 
resolved  to  abandon  the  country  west  of  Mack- 
inaw. An  attempt  was  made  to  renew  the 
traffic  with  the  Sioux  by  this  route  in  172Y  by  an 
expedition  under  the  Sieur  deLaPerriere, which 
established  a  post  and  erected  a  stockade  on 
the  north  side  of  Lake  Pepin.  The  traders 
reached  this  point  at  intervals  for  a  few  years; 
after  which,  it  was  entirely  abandoned.  These 
are  all  the  trustworthy  accounts  given  of  this 
region  during  the  French  domination  in  the 
northwest.  Tliey  show  that  tlie  waters  of  tlie 
Wisconsin  and  tlie  Mississippi  were  traversed 
at  intervals,  but  do  not  indicate  thai  the  lu.c.iliiy 
of  Praiiie  du  ("liicn  was  visited  or  attractccl 
any  attention,  'i'iiis  nia\  1  e  (  X|)laiii((l  in  con- 
nection with  tlie  causes  that  subst  (jiniitly 
bi'ought  it  into  notice. 

"In  1766,  Jonathan  Carver  visited  this  icnion 
with  a  view  of  ascertiining  favorable  situalions 
for  new  settlements,  and  is  the  first  traveler  u  Im 
mentions  Prairie  du  t'liien.  He  set  out  fioiii 
Mackinaw,  the  most  remote  British  post  in  the 
northwest,  in  the  month  of  September,  in  the 
company  of  some  traders.  In  passing  down  the 
Wisconsin,  he  observed  upon  the  right  bank 
about  five  miles  above  its  mouth,  at  the  eastern 
base  of  a  pyramid  of  rocks,  the  ruins  of  a  vil- 
lage of  the  Foxes,  which  had  been  abandoned 
for  the  better  location  at  the  Prairie  du 
('liien.  Here  he  found  about  300  families  in 
houses  well  built  after  the  Indian  manner,  and 
jileasantly  situated  on  a  very  rich  soil,  from 
which  the  necessaries  of  life  were  raised  in 
abundance.  The  occupants  had  many  horses  of 
good  size  and  shape.  The  peculiarities  of  the 
location  are  remarked,  and  the  place  is  described 
as  a  summer  resort  for  traders,  who  were  met 
here  annually  about  the  month   of  May,   by  a 


large  assemblage  of  the  Indian  tribes,  both  near 
and  remote,  with  furs  to  dispose  of,  so  that  it 
hail  become  a  trading  mart  of  considerable  im- 
poi  tance.  While  here,  the  different  tribes,  even 
though  at  war  with  each  other,  refrained  from 
any  acts  of  liostility,  a  voluntary  agreement 
which  they  ever  afterward  observed.  Some- 
times, however,  they  proceeded  to  Mackinaw  or 
Louisiana  before  disposing  of  their  furs.  In 
Carver's  faithful  and  minute  narrative,  no  men- 
tion is  made  of  any  French  settlement  or  other 
white  residents,  or  of  fortifications,  from  which 
circumstance  it  is  highly  probable  that  there 
were  none  in  existence.  His  book  did  not  in- 
duce the  progress  of  settlement  into  this  region, 
and  the  British  outposts  were  advanced  no  fur- 
ther than  Mackinaw,  consetpiently,  Prairie  du 
Chien  is  not  again  brought  in  notice  by  accounts 
of  that  period,  until  1780.  In  June  of  that  year, 
the  traders  had  collected  a  lot  of  peltries,  and 
deposited  them  at  the  Prairie,  in  charge  of 
Charles  de  Langlade,  a  noted  trader  of  Green 
Bay  and  Mackinaw.  The  American  forces  then 
occupied  Illinois,  and  hearing  reports  that  they 
were  intending  the  capture  of  Prairie  du  Chier, 
the  ciinunandant  at  Mackinaw,  sent  forward  an 
expedition  to  bring  away  the  stores,  in  charge 
of  John  Long,  lieutenant  in  a  company  of  trad- 
ers enrolled  as  militia  at  that  post.  The  party 
consisting  of  twenty  Canadians,  and  thirty-six 
of  the  Fox  and  Sioux  tribes,  proceeded  in  nine 
large  birch  canoes,  laden  with  presents  for  tlie 
Indians  at  the  village.  Arriving  on  the  seventh 
day  at  the  mouth  of  the  Wisconsin,  they  found 
there  an  array  of  200  Foxes  on  horseback, 
armed  with  spears,  bows  and  arrows,  « ho 
at  first  did  not  seem  pleased  with  tlie  visitors, 
but  after  a  short  parley,  conducted  them  to  their 
village,  and  feasted  them  upon  dog,  bear,  bea- 
ver, deer,  mountain  cat,  and  raccoon,  boiled  in 
bear's  grease,  and  mixed  with  huckleberries. 
A  council  was  then  held,  the  presents  were  dis- 
tributed, the  chiefs  assented  to  the  removal  of 
the  ])eltries,  and  the  visitors  re-entered  their 
canoes  and  moved  up  to  the  place  of  deposit,  a 


138 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


log  house,  where  they  found  Capt.  Langlade. 
Three  hundred  packs  of  the  peltries  were  placed 
in  the  canoes,  the  remainder,  some  sixty  in 
number,  they  were  unable  to  store  away,  and 
therefore  burned,  after  which  they  returned  to 
Mackinaw.  The  Americans  never  came,  as  an- 
ticipated. The  narrative  shows  no  material 
change  in  the  place,  or  the  course  of  trade  since 
Carver's  visit,  except  that  the  traders  from  the 
lakes  had  erected  a  building,  in  which  their  furs 
could  be  temporarily  lodged  and  guarded." 

We  find  no  further  accounts  of  visits  of  trav- 
elers until  17S0.  At  that  date  Capt.  J.  Long 
while  at  Mackinaw  was  sent  by  the  command- 
ing officer  to  accompany  a  party  of  Indians  and 
Canadians  to  the  Mississippi.  Information  had 
been  received  at  Mackinaw  that  the  Indian 
traders  had  deposited  their  furs  at  Prairie  du 
Chien,  where  there  was  a  town  of  considerable 
note,  built  under  the  command  of  Mons.  Lang- 
lade, the  King's  interpreter,  and  the  object  of 
the  expedition  was  to  secure  these  furs  and  keep 
them  from  the  Americans.  Capt.  Long  left 
Mackinaw  with  thirty-six  Indians  of  the  Onta- 
gamies  and  Sioux,  twenty  Canadians  in  nine 
large  birch  canoes,  laden  with  Indian  presents. 
The  party  arrived  at  Green  Bay  in  four  days 
and  proceeded  through  the  Fox  and  Wisconsin 
rivers  to  the  forks  of  the  Mississippi  where 
he  met  200  of  the  Fox  Indians,  and  had  a 
feast  of  five  Indian  dogs,  bear,  beaver,  deer, 
mountain  cat  and  raccoon  boiled  in  bear's  grease 
and  mixed  with  hnckleberries!  He  proceeded  to 
Prairie  du  Chien  where  he  found  the  merchants 
peltries  in  packs  in  a  log  house,  guarded  by 
Capt.  Langlade  and  some  Indians.  He  took 
300  packs  of  the  best  skins  and  filled  the  canoes. 
Sixty  more  were  burnt  to  prevent  the  enemy 
(the  Americans)  from  taking  them.  He  then 
returned  to  Green  Bay  (in  seventeen  days)  and 
thence  to  Mackinaw. 

Capt.  Long's  account  of  this  trip  written  by 
himself  will  be  found  in  full  in  a  subsequent 
chapter. 


It  was  nearly  forty  years  subsequent  to  Car- 
ver's visit  before  the  Mississippi  was  ascended 
by  any  one  who  left. a  record  of  his  journey. 
In  1805  Maj.  Z.  M.  Pike  made  a  reconnoisance 
up  the  river.  We  give  his  description  of  what 
he  saw  as  he  passed  from  a  point  below  the 
mouth  of  the  Wisconsin  up  to  "a  prairie  called 
La  Crosse:" 

Sept.  2,  [1805],  Monday.— After  making  two 
short  reaches,  we  commenced  one,  which  is 
thirty  miles  in  length,  the  wind  serving,  we  just 
made  it;  and  encamped  on  the  east  side  oppo- 
site to  the  mouth  of  Turkey  river.  In  the 
course  of  the  day,  we  landed  to  shoot  at  pig- 
eons; the  moment  a  gun  was  fired,  some  Indi- 
ans, who  were  on  the  shore  above  us,  ran  down 
and  put  off  in  their  peroques  with  great  pre- 
cipitation; upon  which  Mr.  Blondeau  informed 
me,  that  all  the  women  and  children  were 
frightened  at  the  very  name  of  an  American 
boat,  and  that  the  men  held  us  in  great  respect, 
conceiving  us  very  quarrelsome,  and  much  for 
war,  and  also  very  brave.  This  information  I 
used  as  prudence  suggested.  We  stopped  at  an 
encampment,  about  three  miles  below  the 
town,  where  they  gave  us  some  excellent  ])lums. 
They  dispatched  a  peroque  to  the  village,  to 
give  notice,  as  I  supposed,  of  our  arrival.  It 
commenced  raining  about  dusk,  and  rained  all 
night.     Distance,  forty  miles. 

September  3,  Tuesday.  —  Embarked  at  a 
pretty  early  hour.  Cloudy.  Met  two  peroques  of 
family  Indians;  they  at  first  asked  Mr.  Blon- 
deau, "if  we  were  for  war,  or  if  going  to  war?" 
I  now  experienced  the  good  effect  of  lia\  itig 
some  person  on  board  who  could  speak  ilieir 
language ;  for  they  presented  me  with  three 
pair  of  ducks  and  a  quantity  of  venison,  suffi- 
cient for  all  our  crew,  one  day;  in  return,  I 
made  them  some  trifling  presents.  Afterwards 
met  two  peroques,  carrying  some  of  the  war- 
riors spoken  of  on  the  2d  inst.  They  kept  at 
a  great  distance,  until  spoken  to  by  Mr.  Blon- 
deau, when  tliey  informed  him  that  their  ])arty 
had  proceeded  up  as  high  as  Lake   Pepin,  with 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


189 


out  effecting  anytliing.  It  is  surprising  what  a 
dread  the  Indians  in  this  quarter  have  of  the 
Americans.  I  have  often  seen  them  go  around 
islands, .to  avoid  meeting  iiiy  boat.  It  appears 
to  mo  evident,  tiiat  the  traders  have  taken  great 
pains  to  impress  upon  the  minds  of  the  savages, 
the  idea  of  our  being  a  very  vindictive,  fero- 
cious and  warlike  people.  This  impression 
was  perhaps  made  with  no  good  intention;  but 
wiien  they  find  that  our  conduct  towards  them 
is  guided  by  magnanimity  and  justice,  instead 
of  operating  in  an  injurious  manner,  it  will 
have  the  effect  to  make  them  reverence,  at  the 
same  time  they  fear  us.  Distance,  twenty-five 
miles. 

"September  4th,  Wednesday. — Breakfasted 
just  below  the  mouth  of  the  Wisconsin.  Ar- 
rived at  the  Prairie  Les  Chiens  about  11  o'clock; 
took  quarters  at  Capt.  Fishers,  and  were  politely 
received  by  him  and  Mr.  Frazer. 

"September  5th,  Thursday. — Embarked  about 
half  past  10  o'clock  in  a  Schenectady  boat,  to  go 
to  the  mouth  of  the  Wisconsin,  in  order  to  take 
the  latitude,  and  look  at  the  situation  of  the 
adjacent  hills  for  a  post.  Was  accompanied  by 
Judge  Fisher,  Mr.  Frazer  and  Mr.  Woods.  We 
ascended  tlic  hill  on  the  west  side  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi, and  made  a  choice  of  a  spot  which  I 
thought  most  eligible,  being  level  on  the  top, 
liaving  a  spring  in  the  rear,  and  commanding  a 
view  of  the  country  around.  A  shower  of  rain 
came  on  which  wet  us,  and  we  returned  to  the 
village  without  having  ascended  the  Wisconsin 
as  we  intended.  Marked  four  trees  with  A,  B, 
C,  D,  and  squared  the  sides  of  one  in  the  center. 
Wrote  to  the  General. 

"September  6th,  Friday. — Had  a  small  council 
with  the  Puants  and  Winnebagoes;  and  a  cliief 
of  the  lower  band  of  the  Sioux.  Visited  and 
laid  out  a  jxisition  for  a  post,  on  a  hill  called 
Petit  (Tris,  on  the  Wisconsin,  tliree  miles  above 
its  mouth.  Mr.  Fisher  accompanied  me;  was 
taken  very  sick,  in  consequence  of  drinking 
some  water  out  of  the  Wisconsin.  The  Puants 
never  have  any  white  interpreters,  nor  have  the 


FolleAvoine  (Menoraonee)  Nation.  In  my  coun- 
cil I  spoke  to  a  Frenchman,  he  to  a  Sioux,  who 
interpreted  to  some  of  the  Puants. 

"September  11^,  Saturday. — My  men  beat  all 
the  villagers  hopping  and  jumping.  Began  to 
load  my  new  boats. 

"September  8th,  Sunday. — Embarked  at  half 
past  11  o'clock  in  two  batteaux.  The  wind  fair 
and  fresh.  I  found  myself  very  much  embar- 
rassed and  cramped  in  my  new  boats,  with 
provision  and  baggage.  I  embarked  two  in- 
terpreters, one  to  perform  the  whole  voyage, 
whose  name  was  Pierre  Rosseau,  and  the  other 
named  Joseph  Reinulle,  paid  by  Mr.  Frazer  to 
accompany  me  as  high  as  the  Falls  of  St. 
Anthony.  Mr.  Frazer  is  a  young  gentleman, 
clerk  to  Mr.  Blakely,  of  Montreal;  he  was  born 
in  Vermont,  but  has  latterly  resided  in  Canada. 
To  the  attention  of  this  gentleman  I  am  much 
indebted;  he  procured  for  me  everything  in  his 
power  that  I  stood  in  need  of;  dispatched  his 
bark  canoes  and  remained  himself  to  go  on 
with  me.  His  design  was  to  winter  with  some 
of  the  Sioux  bands.  We  sailed  well,  came 
eighteen  miles  and  encamped  on  the  w'est  bank. 
I  must  not  omit  here  to  bear  testimony  to  the 
politeness  of  all  the  principal  inhabitants  of  the 
village.  There  is,  however,  a  material  distinc- 
tion to  be  made  in  the  nature  of  those  atten- 
tions. The  kindness  of  Messrs.  Fisher,  Frazer 
and  Woods  (all  Americans),  seemed  to  be  the 
spontaneous  effusions  of  good  will,  and  partial- 
ity to  their  countrymen;  it  extended  to  the 
accommodation,  convenience,  exercises  and 
pastimes  of  my  men;  and  whenever  they 
proved  superior  to  the  French  openly  showed 
their  pleasure.  But  the  French  Canadians  ap- 
peared attentive,  rather  from  their  natural  good 
manners,  the  sincere  friendship;  however,  it 
produced  from  them  the  same  effect  that  natural 
good-will  did  in  others. 

"September  9th,  Monday. — Embarked  early. 
Dined  at  Cape  Garlic  or  at  Garlic  river,  after 
which  we  came  on  to  an  island  on  the  east  side 
about   five   miles   below    the    river  Iowa,   and 


140 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


encamped.  Rained  before  sunset.  Distance 
twenty-eight  miles. 

"September  10th,  Tuesday. — Rain  still  con- 
tinuing, we  remained  at  our  camp  Having 
shot  at  some  pigeons,  the  report  was  heard  at 
the  Sioux  lodges;  when  La  Yieulle  sent  down 
six  of  his  young  men  to  inform  me  that  he  had 
waited  three  days  with  meat,  etc.,  but  last 
night  tliey  had  began  to  drink,  and,  that  on  the 
next  day  he  would  receive  me  with  his  people 
sober.  I  returned  him  for  answer,  that  the 
season  was  advanced,  that  time  was  pressing, 
and  that  if  the  rain  ceased,  I  must  go  on.  Mr. 
Frazer  and  the  interpreter  went  home  with  the 
Indians.  We  embarked  about  1  o'clock. 
Frazer  returning,  informed  me  that  the  chief 
acquiesced  in  my  reasons  for  pressing  forward, 
but  that  lie  had  prepared  a  pipe  (by  way  of 
letter)  to  present  me,  to  show  to  all  the  Sioux 
above,  with  a  message  to  inform  them  that  I 
was  a  chief  of  their  new  fathers,  and  that  he 
wished  me  to  be  treated  with  friendship  and 
respect.  *  *  *  We  embarked  about  half 
past  3  o'clock,  came  three  miles  and  encamped 
on  the  west  side.  Mr.  Frazer  we  left  behind, 
but  he  came  up  with  his  two  pirogues  about 
dusk.  It  commenced  raining  very  hard.  In 
the  night  a  pirogue  arrived  at  the  lodges  at 
his  camp.  During  our  stay  at  their  camp,  tliere 
were  soldiers  appointed  to  keep  the  crowd  from 
my  boats.  At  my  departure  their  soldiers  said: 
As  I  had  shaken  hands  with  their  chief,  tiny 
mtist  shake  hands  with  my  soldiers.  In  whicli 
request  I  willingly  indulged  them. 

"September  11th,  Wednesday. — Embarked  at 
V  o'clock,  although  raining.  Mr.  Frazer's 
canoes  also  came  on  until  9  o'clock.  Stopped 
for  breakfast  and  made  a  tire.  Mr.  Frazer  staid 
with  me,  and  finding  his  pirogues  not  quite 
able  to  keep  up,  he  dispatched  them.  We  em- 
barked ;  came  on  until  near  6  o'clock,  and  en- 
camped on  the  west  side.  Saw  nothing  of  his 
pirogues  after  they  left  us.  Supposed  to  have 
come  sixteen  miles  this  day.  Rain  and  cold 
winds,  all  day  ahead.    The  river  has  never  been 


clear  of  islands  since  I  left  Prairie  les  Chiens. 
I  absolutely  believe  it,  here,  to  be  two  miles 
wide.  Hills,  or  rather  prairie  knobs,  on  both 
sides. 

"September  12th,  Thursday.  It  raining  very 
hard  in  the  morning,  we  did  not  embark  until 
10  o'clock,  Mr.  Frazer's  pirogues  then  com- 
ing up.  It  was  still  raining  and  was  very  cold. 
Passed  the  Racine  river,  also  a  prairie  called  La 
Crosse,  from  a  game  of  ball  played  frequently  on 
it  by  the  Sioux  Indians.  This  prairie  is  very 
handsome;  it  has  a  small,  square  hill,  similar  to 
some  mentiojied  by  Carver.  It  is  bounded  in 
the  rear  by  hills  similar  to  the  Prairie  les 
Chiens.  On  this  prairie  Mr.  Frazer  showed  me 
some  holes,  dug  by  the  Sioux,  when  in  expecta- 
tion of  an  attack,  into  which  they  first  put  their 
women  and  children,  and  then  crawl  them- 
selves. They  were  generally  round,  and  about 
ten  feet  in  diameter;  but  some  were  half  moons 
and  quite  a  breastwork.  This  I  understood  was 
the  chief  work,  which  was  the  piincipal  redoubt. 
Their  modes  of  constructing  are,  the  moment 
they  apprehend  or  discover  an  enemy  on  a 
prairie,  they  commence  digging  with  their 
knives,  tomahawks  and  a  wooden  ladle  ;  and  in 
an  incredibly  short  space  of  time  they  have  a 
hole  sufficiently  deep  to  cover  themselves  and 
their  family,  from  the  balls  ffr  arrows  of  the 
enemy.  They  have  no  idea  of  taking  those  sub- 
terraneous redoubts  by  storm,  as  they  would 
probably  lose  a  great  nuluber  of  men  in  the 
attack  ;  and  althbugh  they  might  be  successful 
in  the  event,  it  would  be  considered  a  very  im- 
prudent action.  Mr.  Frazer,  finding  his  canoes 
not  able  to  keep  up,  staid  at  this  prairie  to  or- 
ganize one  of  them,  intending  then  to  overtake 
us." 

(OBSBEVATIONS  OF  MAJ.    PIKE.) 

"The  village  of  the  Prairie  les  Chiens  is  situ- 
ated about  one  league  above  the  mouth  of  the 
Wisconsin  river.  »  *  *  *  The  prairie  on 
which  the  village  is  situated  is  bounded  in  the 
rear  by  high,  bald  hills.  It  is  from  one  mile  to 
three-quarters  of  a  mile  from  the  river,  and  ex- 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


141 


tends  about  eight  miles  from  the  Mississippi  to 
where  it  strikes  the  Wisconsin,  at  the  Petit  Gris, 
wliich  bears  from  the  village  southeast  by  east. 

*  *  From  the  village  to  Lake  Pepin  we 
have,  on  the  west  shore,  first  Yellow  river, 
about  twenty  yards  wide,  bearing  from  the 
Mississippi  nearly  due  west.  Second,  the  Iowa 
river,  about  100  yards  wide,  bearing  from  the 
Mississippi  about  northwest.  Third,  the  Racine 
river,  about  twenty  yards  wide,  bearing  from 
the  Mississippi  nearly  west,  and  navigable  for 
canoes  sixty  miles.  Fourth,  the  rivers  Embarra 
and  L'Eau  Claire,  which  join  their  waters  just 
as  they  form  a  confluence  with  the  Mississippi, 
and  are  about  sixty  yards  wide,  and  bear  nearly 
southwest. 

"On  the  east  shore,  in  the  same  distance,  is 
the  river  de  la  Prairie  la  Crosse,  which  empties 
into  the  Mississippi,  at  the  head  of  the  prairie 
of  that  name.  It  is  about  twenty  yards  wide, 
and  bears  north-northwest. 

"We  then  meet  with  the  Black  river.     *       * 

*  *  In  this  division  of  the  Mississippi  the 
shores  are  more  than  three-fourths  prairie  on 
both  sides,  or,  more  properly  speaking,  bald 
hills,  which,  instead  of  running  parallel  with 
the  river,  form  a  continual  succession  of  high, 
perpendicular  cliffs  and  low  valleys  ;  they  ap- 
pear to  head  on  the  river,  and  to  transverse  the 
country  in  an  angular  direction.  Those  hills 
and  valleys  give  rise  to  some  of  the  most  sub- 
lime and  romantic  views  I  ever  saw.  But  this 
irregular  scenery  is  sometimes  interrupted  by  a 
wide  extended  plain,  which  brings  to  mind  the 
verdant  lawn  of  civilized  life,  and  woiild  almost 
induce  the  traveler  to  imagine  himself  in  the 
center  of  a  highly  cultivated  plantation.  The 
timber  of  this  division  is  generally  birch,  elm 
and  Cottonwood,  all  the  cliifs  being  bordered 
by  cedar." 

Maj.  S.  II.  Long  having  made  a  tour  to  the 
portage  of  the  Fox  and  Wisconsin  rivers,  re- 
turned to  Prairie  du  Chien  and  made  a  voyage 
to  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony,  in  a  six-oared  skiff, 
accompanied  by  a  Mr.    Hempstead  as  interpret- 


er, and  by  two  young  men  named  King  and 
Gunn,  grandsons  of  Capt.  Jonathan  Carver, 
who  were  going  up  to  the  Sauteurs  to  establish 
their  claim  to  lands  granted  by  those  tribes  to 
their  grandfather.  The  day  after  his  arrival, 
(July  23,  1817,)  he  examined  the  country  to 
find  a  location  better  adapted  for  a  post  than 
the  present  one,  but  did  not  succeed.  While 
liere  he  made  excursions  in  the  surrounding 
country,  and  refers  to  the  remains  of  ancient 
earth-works  above  the  mouth  of  the  Wisconsin, 
more  numerous  and  of  greater  extent  than  had 
heretofore  been  noticed.  On  the  25th  he  meas- 
ured and  planned  Fort  Crawford.  He  says  it 
is  a  square  of  340  feet  each  side,  of  wood,  with 
a  magazine  12x24  of  stone — that  it  will  accom- 
modate five  companies — block  houses,  two 
stories  high,  with  cupolas  or  turrets.  The 
building  of  the  works  was  commenced  July  3, 
ISlC,  by  troops  under  command  of  Col.  Hamil- 
ton, previous  to  which  time  no  timber  had  been 
cut,  or  stone  quarried  for  the  purpose.  He 
says:  "Exclusive  of  stores,  workshops  and 
stables,  the  village  contains  only  sixteen  dwell- 
ing houses,  occupied  by  families.  In  the  rear 
of  the  village  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile 
are  four  others,  two  and  a  half  miles  above  are 
five,  and  at  the  upper  end  of  the  prairie  are 
four,  and  seven  or  eight  scattered  over  the 
prairie  So  that  the  whole  number  of  family 
dwellings  now  occupied  does  not  exceed  thirty- 
eight.  The  buildings  are  generally  of  logs, 
plastered  with  mud  or  clay,  and  he  thinks  the 
village  and  inhabitants  have  degenerated  since 
Pike  was  here  in  )805.  The  inhabitants  are 
{)rincipally  of  French  and  Indian  extraction. 
One  mile  back  of  the  village  is  the  'Grand 
Farm,'  an  extensive  enclosure  cultivated  by  the 
settlers  in  common.  It  is  about  six  miles  in 
length,  and  one-quarter  to  one-half  a  mile  in 
width,  surrounded  by  a  fence  on  one  side,  and 
the  river  bluffs  on  the  other,  thus  secured  from 
the  depredations  of  cattle."  He  speaks  highly 
of  Capt.  Duffhey,  the  commanding  officer.  He 
says  of  the   name  of  the  village,  it   derives  its 


142 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


name  from  a  family  of  Indians,  formerly  known 
by  the  name  of  "The  Dog,"  that  the  chief's 
name  was  "The  Dog."  This  family  or  band  has 
become  extinct.  Tlie  following  tradition  con- 
cerning them  came  to  his  knowledge:  "That  a 
large  party  of  Indians  came  down  the  Wiscon- 
sin from  Green  Bay;  that  they  attacked  the 
family  or  tribe  of  the  "Dogs"  and  massacred 
almost  the  whole  of  them  and  returned  to 
Green  Bay;  that  the  few  who  had  .succeeded  in 
making  their  escape  to  the  woods,  returned 
after  their  enemies  had  evacuated  the  prairie, 
and  re-established  themselves  in  their  former 
place  of  residence,  and  that  they  were  the  Indi- 
ans inhabiting  the  prairie  at  the  time  it  was  set- 
tled by  the  French. 

UP  THE    MISSISSIPPI  IN  1819. 

[From  a  "Journal  of  a  Toyage  from  St.  Louis  to  the  Falls 
of  St.  Anthony  in  1819,"  by  Maj.   Thomas  Forsyth,  Indian 

Agent. 1 

I  set  out  this  morning  with  a  view,  if  possi- 
ble, to  reach  Prairie  du  Chien,  but  having  no 
wind  in  our  favor,  and  current  strong,  we  could 
get  no  further  than  the  mouth  of  the  Ouiscon- 
sin.     Distance  to-day,  twenty-four  miles. 

Monday,  July  5,  1819. — I  arrived  to-day  at  9 
A.  M.,  at  Prairie  du  Chien,  and  immediately  the 
wind  sprang  up  and  blew  a  fresh  breeze.  This 
was  vexing,  as  I  had  experienced  five  days  ot 
head  winds  successively.  I  found  here,  await- 
ing my  arrival,  the  Red  Wing's  son,  a  Sioux 
Indian,  who  wished  to  be  considered  something, 
with  a  band  of  followers.  He  invited  me  to  a 
talk,  and  after  relating  the  loss  of  one  of  his 
young  men  who  was  killed  by  the  Chippewas, 
he  expressed  a  wish  that  I  would  take  pity  on 
all  present,  and  give  them  some  goods.  All 
this  was  a  begging  speech.  I  told  him  that  I 
meant  to  go  up  with  the  troops  to  the  river  St. 
Peter's,  and  on  my  way  up  I  would  stop  at  their 
different  villages,  where  I  would  speak  to  them, 
and  give  them  a  few  goods.  Here  I  had  noth- 
ing to  say,  as  I  could  not  give  any  goods  at 
this  place,  because  it  required  goods  to  give 
weight  to  words,   and  make   them   understand 


me  well.  Yet  he  is  such  a  beggar,  that  he  would 
not  take  any  refusal.  I  got  up  in  an  abrupt 
manner  and  left  him  and  band,  to  study  awhile. 
The  Leaf,  the  principal  chief  of  the  Sioux,  ar- 
rived this  evening. 

Tuesday,  6th. — Ihe  Kettle  chief,  with  a 
band  of  Foxes,  arrived  here  to-daj',  to  make 
arrangements  with  Mr.  Partney  about  selling 
him  the  ashes  at  the  different  mines.  A  boat 
belonging  to  the  contractor  arrived  to-day, 
loaded  with  provisions  for  the  troops,  in  twen- 
ty-five days  from  Wood  river. 

Wednesday,  7th. — The  contractor's  boat  left 
this  day  to  return  to  Wood  river. 

Thursday,  8th. — A  young  Folle  Avoine  (Me- 
nomonee)  stabbed  a  young  Sioux  in  a  fit  of 
jealousy  to-day,  near  the  fort.  He  was  in 
liquor. 

Friday,  9th — The  Sioux  Indians  yesterday 
seized  on  the  Folle  Avoine  Indian  who  had 
stabbed  the  young  Sioux,  and  kept  him  in  con- 
finement, well  tied  and  guarded  by  a  few  young 
Sioux;  but  the  Sioux  chiefs  sent  for  the  Folle 
Avoine,  and  made  him  a  present  of  a  blanket 
and  some  other  articles  of  clothing,  and  made 
him  and  the  young  Sioux  whom  he  had  stabbed 
eat  out  of  the  same  dish  together,  thus  forgiving 
and  forgetting  the  past. 

Sunday,  11th. — Everyday  since  my  arrival  at 
this  place,  the  wind  has  blown  up  the  river; 
to-day  it  came  around  south  and  with  rain; 
\\  ind  settled  at  the  northwest. 

Monday,  12th. — The  Red  Wing's  son  is  still 
here  a  begging.  He  invited  me  to  talk  with 
him  in  council  yesterday.  This  I  refused  as  I 
did  not  wish  to  be  troubled  with  such  a 
fellow. 

Tuesday,  13th. — Much  rain  this  morning; 
wind  southwest. 

Wednesday,  14th. — Some  Winnebagoes  ar- 
rived from  headwaters  of  Rocky  river,  and  por- 
tage of  Ouisconsin.  These  fellows  are  scien- 
tific beggars.     Wind  north. 

Thursday,  15th. — Yesterday  evening  the  Red 
Wing's  son's  band  of  Sioux  Indians  set  out  for 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


US 


their  liomes,  and  I  am  glad  of  it,  for  they  are  a 
troublesome  set  of  beggars.  The  wind  blows 
hard  from  the  north  to-day,  which  makes  it  much 
cooler  than  it  has  been  for  many  days  before. 

Friday,  16th, — The  wind  continues  to  blow 
iiard  from  the  north,  and  the  weatlier  is  still 
cool.  Two  men  arrived  this  evening  from 
Green  Bay  in  a  canoe. 

Saturday,  1 7th. — Mr.  Boulhillier  (Francois 
Bouthillier)  arrived  here  to-day  from  Green  Bay. 
Mr.  Shaw  also  arrived  here  to-day  from  St. 
Louis  in  a  canoe,  having  left  his  horses  at 
Rocky  Island.  He  informs  me  that  he 
left  Belle  Fontaine  on  the  15th  ult.,  that  the  re- 
cruits destined  for  the  Mississippi  set  out  on 
the  day  before  and  may  be  expected  shortly. 

Sunday,  18th — Took  a  ride  out  in  the  coun- 
try. Found  some  of  the  situations  handsome, 
bu'  the  farmers  are  poor  hands  at  cultivation. 
Flour,  ^10  per  cwt.;  corn,  $3  per  bushel;  eggs, 
$1  per  dozen;  chickens,*!!  to  $1.25  a  couple. 
Butter,  none  made. 

Monda' ,  19th — A  little  rain,  and  cool  all  day. 
Mr.  Shaw  left  to-day  to  return  home. 

Tuesday,  20th — A  little  rain  to-day. 

Wednesday,  21st — Winds  fair  for  boats  com- 
ing up  the  river,  and  little  rain  to-day. 

Thursday,  22d — A  fine  wind  up  the  river  to- 
day, with  much  rain.  The  old  Red  Wing,  a 
Sioux  chief,  with  about  twenty  of  his  followers, 
arrived  to-day.  This  is  another  begging  expe- 
dition. 

Friday,  23d — The  wind  is  still  up  the  river, 
with  some  rain.  The  old  Red  Wing  and  I  had 
a  long  talk,  and,  as  I  supposed,  the  whole  pur- 
port was  begging. 

Saturday,  24th — Having  heard  much  talk 
about  Carreis'  claim  to  land  at  or  near  St. 
Peter's  river,  and  understanding  that  the  Red 
Wing  knewor  said  something  about  it  last  year, 
curiosity  led  me  to  make  inquiries  of  him, having 
now  an  opportunity.  He  told  me  he  remem- 
bered of  hearing  his  father  say  that  lands  lying 
on  the  west  side  of  Lake  Pepin,  known  by  the 
name  of  the  old  wintering  places,  were  given  to 


an  Englishman;  that  he  is  now  an  old  man 
(about  sixty  years  of  age),  and  does  not,  him- 
self, remember  the  transactions.  I  wished  to 
continue  the  conversation,  but  the  old  man  did 
not  like  it  and  therefore  I  did  not  })ress  it. 

Sunday,  25th — Wind  north  and   a  warm  day. 

Monday,  26th — Capt.  Hickman  and  family 
left  this  place  to-day  in  an  open  boat  for  ^^t. 
Louis.     Wind  north,  and  another  warm  day. 

Tuesday,  27th — Another  warm  day.  No  news 
of  any  kind. 

Wednesday,  28th — A  boat  arrived  here  from 
Green  Bay. 

Thursday,  29th^ — This  is  the  warmest  day  I 
have  experienced  this  season,  although  there 
blew  a  hard  wind  up  the  river  all  day. 

Friday, 30th — Yesterday  evening  the  war  party 
of  Foxes  who  had  been  on  a  hunt  of  some 
of  the  Sioux  of  the  interior,  returned  without 
finding  any.  Much  wind  and  rain  this  morning. 
I  returned  Mr.  Moore  $3,  which  Mr.  Aird  gave 
me  last  September  to  buy  him  some  articles, 
which  could  not  be  procured. 

Saturday,  31st — Wind  light  up  the  river;  no 
boats,  no  recruits,  no  news,  nor  anything  else 
from  St.  Louis. 

Sunday,  August  1st — Maj.  Marston  set  out  to- 
day early  with  twenty-seven  troops  in  three 
boats  to  garrison  Fort  Armstrong,  at  Rocky 
Island.  The  boat  which  brought  the  settlers' 
goods  from  Green  Bay  a  few  days  since  set  out 
to-day  to  return  home.  Some  rain  to-day; 
weather  warm. 

Monday,  2d — Thank  God!  a  boat  loaded  with 
ordnance  and  stores  of  different  kinds  arrived 
to-day,  and  said  a  provision  boat  would  arrive 
to-morrow,  but  no  news  of  the  recruits. 

Tuesday,  3d — VVeather  warm,  with  some 
rain. 

Wednesday,  4th — This  morning  the  provision 
boat  arrived.  No  news  from  St.  Louis.  This 
boat  brings  news  of  having  passed  a  boat  with 
troops  on  board  destined  for  this  place.  Some 
of  the  men  say  two  boats.     Some  rain  to-day. 


144 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


Thursday,  5tli — Much  rain  last  night.  Col. 
Leavenworth  is  determined  to  set  out  on  the  7th 
if  things  can  be  got  ready  for  the  expedition  to 
St.  Peter's.  The  colonel  has  very  properly,  in 
my  opinion,  engaged  the  two  large  boats  now 
here,  with  as  many  men  belonging  to  the  boats 
as  will  remain  to  accompany  the  expedition, 
their  contents  being  wanted  for  the  new  estab- 
lishment at  St.  Peter's.  Without  the  assistance 
of  these  two  boats,  it  would  appear  impossible 
for  the  expedition  to  go  on. 

Friday,  6th — Yesterday  evening  some  French- 
men, who  would  not  agree  to  go  any  further  up 
the  Mississippi,  set  out  for  St.  Louis  in  a  bark 
canoe.  This  morning  eight  discharged  soldiers 
set   out  from  this  place  for  St.  Louis  in  a  skiff. 

Saturday,  7th — Every  exertion  was  made  to 
get  off  to-day,  but  impossible.  A  fine  wind  up 
the  river. 

Sunday,  8th — This  morning  the  colonel  told 
me  that  he  would  be  ready  in  an  hour,  and 
about  8  o'clock  we  set  out  for  river  St.  Peter's. 
The  troops  consisting  of  ninety-eight  rank  and 
file,  in  fourteen  bateaux  and  two  large  boats 
loaded  with  provisions  and  ordnance,  and  stores 
of  different  kinds,  as  also  my  boat;  and  a  barge 
belonging  to  the  colonel,  making  seventeen 
boats;  and  in  the  whole  ninety-eight  soldiers 
and  about  twenty  boatmen.  I  felt  myself 
quite  relieved  when  we  got  under  way.  We 
made  today  eighteen  miles. 

From  Schoolcrafts  "Discovery  of  tlie  Sources 
of  the  Mississippi  River,"  we  extract  the  follow- 

"At  the  rapids  of  Black  river,  which  enters 
opposite  our  encampment,  a  saw  mill,  we  are 
informed,  had  been  erected  by  an  inhabitant  of 
Prairie  du  Chien.  Thus  the  empire  of  the  arts 
has  begun  to  make  its  way  into  these  regions, 
and  proclaims  the  advance  of  a  heavy  civiliza- 
tion into  a  valley  which  has  heretofore  only  re- 
sounded to  the  savage  war-whoop.  Or,  if  a 
higher  grade  of  society  and  arts  has  ever  before 
existed  in  it,  as  some  of  our  tumuli  and  antiqui- 


ties would  lead  us  to  infer,  the  light  of  history 
has  failed  to  reach  us  on  the  subject. 

"At  the  spot  of  our  encampment,  as  soon  as 
the  .shades  of  night  closed  in,  we  were  visited 
by  hordes  of  ephemera.  The  candles  lighted 
in  our  tents  became  the  points  of  attraction  for 
these  evanescent  creations.  They  soon,  however, 
began  to  feel  the  influence  of  the  sinking  of 
the  thermometer,  and  the  air  was  imperceptibly 
cleared  of  them  in  an  hour  or  two.  By  the  hour 
of  'i  o'clock  the  next  morning  (Aug.  5,  1820), 
the  expedition  was  again  in  motion  descending 
the  river.  It  halted  for  breakfast  at  Painted 
Rock,  on  the  west  shore.  While  this  matter 
was  being  accomplished,  I  found  an  abundant 
locality  of  unios  in  a  curve  of  the  shore  which 
produced  an  eddy.  Fine  specimens  of  U.  pifr- 
pureus,  elongatus  and  orbiculatus  were  obtained. 
With  the  increased  spirit  and  animation  which 
the  whole  party  felt  on  the  prospect  of  our  ar- 
rival at  Prairie  du  Chien,  we  proceeded  unre- 
mittingly on  our  descent,  and  reached  that  place 
at  6  o'clock  in  the  evening. 

"Prairie  du  Chien  does  not  derive  its  name 
from  tlie  dog,  but  from  a  noted  family  of  Fox 
Indians  bearing  this  name,  who  anciently  dwelt 
here.  The  old  town  is  said  to  have  been  about 
a  mile  below  the  present  settlement,  which  was 
commenced  by  Mr.  Dubuque  and  his  associates 
in  1783.*  The  prairie  is  most  eligibly  situated 
along  the  margin  of  the  stream,  above  wliose 
floods  it  is  elevated.  It  consists  of  a  heavy 
stratimi  of  diluvial  pebbles  and  bowlders,  which 
is  picturesquely  bounded  by  lofty  cliffs  of  the 
Silurian  limestones,  and  their  accompanying 
column  of  stratification.  The  village  has  the 
old  and  shabby  look  of  all  the  antique  French 
towns  on  the  Mississippi,  and  in  the  great  lake 
basins;  the  dwellings  being  constructed  of  logs 
and  barks,  and  the  court-yards  picketed  in, 
as  if  lliey  -nere  intended  for  deience.  It  is 
called  Kipisagee  by  the  Chi)ipewas  and  Algon- 
quin tribes,  generally  meaning  the  place  of  the  . 


*  This  is  shown  in  a  subsequent  chapter  to  be  erroneous. 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


US 


jet  or  overflow  of  the  (Wisconsin)  river.  This, 
in  popular  parlance,  estimated  to  be  300  miles 
below  St.  Peter's  and  600  above  St.  Louis. f 

Its  latitude  is  43  deg.,  3  min.,  6  sec.  It  is 
the  seat  of  justice  of  Crawford  county,  having 
been  so  named  in  honor  of  W.  H.  Crawford, 
secretary  of  the  treasury  of  the  U.  S.  It  is, 
together  with  all  the  region  west  of  Lake  Mich- 
igan, att  ched  to  the  territory  of  Michigan. 
There  is  a  large  and  fertile  island  in  the  Missis- 
sippi, opposite  the  place. 

"We  found  the  garrison  to  consist  of  a  single 
company  of  infantry,  under  the  command  of 
Capt.  J.  Fowle,  Jr.,*  who  received  us  courteous- 
ly, and  offered  the  salute  due  to  the  rank  of  His 
Excellency,  Gov.  Cass.  The  fort  is  a  square 
stockade,  with  bastions  at  two  angles.  There 
was  found  on  this  part  of  the  prairie,  when  it 
came  to  be  occupied  with  a  garrison  by  the 
Americans,  in  1819,  an  ancient  platform-mound, 
in  an  exactly  square  form,  the  shape  and  outlines 
of  which  were  preserved  with  exactitude  by  the 
prairie  sod.  "This  earthwork,  the  probable  evi- 
dence of  a  condition  of  ancient  society,  arts  and 
events  of  a  race  who  are  now  reduced  so  low, 
was,  with  good  taste,  preserved  by  the  military 
when  they  erected  this  stockade.  One  of  the 
ofticers  built  a  dwelling  house  upon  it,  thus  con- 
verting it  to  the  use,  and  probably  the  only  use, 
to  which  it  was  originally  devoted.  No  nieas- 
iirciiicnts  h:ive  been  preserved  of  its  original 
condition;  but  judging  from  present  appearances, 
it  must  have  squared  seventy-five  feet  and  have 
hail  an  elevation  of  eight  feet. 

"I  solicited  permission  of  Gov.  Cass  to  visit 
the  lead  mines  of  Dubuque,  which  are  situated 
on  the  west  bank  of  the  Mississippi,  at  the  com- 
puted distance  of  twenty-five  leagues  below 
Prairie  du  Chien.  Furnished  with  a  light  canoe, 
manned  by  eight  voyugeurs,  including  a  guide, 

+  These  distances  are  reduces  by  Cx.  Di>c.  2jT,  respectively 
to  aiO  and  .MS  miles. 

'  This  officer  entered  the  army  in  1812,  serving  with  reputa- 
tion. He  rose  through  various  grades  of  the  service  to  the 
ranli  of  Lieut.  Col.  of  the  flth  infantry.  He  lost  his  life  on 
the:;.')thof  .\pril,  IKis,  liy  the  e.v  plosion  of  the  steamer  Moselle, 
on  the  Ohio  Kivcr. 


I  left  the  prairie  at  half-past  1 1  a.  m.,  (Aug. 
6),  passed  the  entrance  of  the  Wisconsin,  on  the 
left  bank,  at  the  distance  of  a  league.*  Opposite 
this  point  is  the  high  elevation  which  Pike,  in 
1806,  recommended  to  be  occupied  with  h  mili- 
tary work.  The  suggestion  has  not,  however, 
been  adopted;  military  men  probably  thinking 
that  however  eligible  the  site  might  be  for  a 
work  where  civilized  Nations  were  likely  to  come 
into  contact,  a  simple  style  of  defensive  works 
would  serve  the  purpose  of  keeping  the  Indian 
tribes  in  check.  I  proceeded  nine  leagues  be- 
low, and  encamped  at  the  site  of  a  Fox  villagef 
located  on  the  east  bank,  a  mile  below  the  en- 
trance of  1'urkey  river  from  the  »  est. 

The  village,  consisting  of  twelve  lodges,  was 
now  temporarily  deserted,  the  Indians  being 
probably  absent  on  a  hunt;  but  if  so,  it  was  re- 
markable that  not  a  soul  or  living  thing  was  left 
behind,  not  even  a  dog.  My  guide,  indeed,  in- 
formed me  that  the  cause  of  the  desertion  was 
the  fears  entertained  of  an  attack  from  the  Sioux, 
in  retaliation  for  the  massacre  lately  perpetrated 
l)y  them  on  the  heads  of  the  St.  Peter's." 

In  1823,  Count  Beltrami  came  up  the  Missis- 
sippi on  the  steamer  Virginia  (118  feet  long 
and  twenty-two  feet  wide)  in  the  month  of  May, 
and  stopped  at  Prairie  du  Chien;  among  the 
passengers  were  Maj.  Biddle,  Mr.  Talliaferro, 
and  Lieut.  Russel. 

Maj.  S.  II.  Long,  U.  S.  A.,  the  same  3'ear, 
made  his  journey  up  the  Mississippi  by  order 
of  the  Government  to  discover  the  sources  of 
St.  Peter's  river.  His  ]);u-ty  left  Phila<lelpliia 
for  Fort  Dearborn,  Chicago,  and  thence  by  land 
northwest  through  Illinois  and  wliat  is  now  the 
southwestern  counties  of  Wisconsin  to  Prairie 
du  Chien,  where  they  arrived  on  June  20 — found 
Col.  Morgan  in  command.  The  route  taken 
from  Fort  Dearborn  is  believed   to  be  the  first 


*  It  was  at  this  spot.  137  years  ago,  that  .Marquette  and  M. 
Joliet. coming  fnun  the  lakes,  discovered  the  Mi,«sissippi. 

+  Now  the  site  of  Ca.'<sville.  Grant  Co.,  Wis.     It  is  a  post 
town,  pleasantly  sitnated.with  a  population  of  SOO. 


146 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


that  ever  was  taken  by  the  whites,  the  journey 
occupied  nine  days,  traversing  228  miles.  He 
says  that  there  were  about  twenty  dwellings 
witli  a  population  of  150.  The  Fort,  he  says,  is 
the  rudest  and  most  uncomfortable  lie  had  ever 
seen.  The  site  is  low  and  unpleasant.  He  re 
fers  to  the  ancient  mounds  in  the  vicinity  which 
have  been  heretofore  described.  The  party 
were  here  re-inforced,  and  proceeded  up  the 
river.  There  were  but  few  Indians  here  at  the 
time. 


Col.  T.  L.  McKenney,  one  of  the  commission- 
ers to  treat  with  the  Indians  at  Butte  des  Morts, 
came  up  the  Fox  river  and  down  the  Wisconsin 
to  Prairie  du  Chien,  arriving  at  this  place,  Sep- 
tember '^,  1827.  He  says:  "The  buildings  are 
old  and  in  a  state  of  decay,  only  two  good 
houses,  RoUette's  and  Judge  Lockwood's,  about 
100  decaying  tenements,  the  picket  fort  stand- 
ing on  the  plain  a  little  north  of  the  village, 
[where  the  Dousman  residence  now(1884)stands] 
and  quite  a  ruin." 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


U1 


CHAPTER    V. 


THE  WAR  OF  1812-15. 


Singularly  enough,  what  is  now  Crawford 
county  has  been  the  theatre  of  stirring  incidents 
in  four  wars:  The  Revolution,  the  War  of 
1812-15,  the  Winnebago  War,  and  the  Black 
Hawk  War.  The  data  for  what  transpired  here 
during  the  Revolution  are  exceedingly  vague 
and  shadowy  excepting  only  that  a  detachment 
of  soldiers  came  up  the  river  to  the  "  prairie," 
in  1780,  and  destroyed  a  warehouse  and  some 
fifty  packs  of  furs  belonging  to  British  traders. 
That  these  soldiers  were  a  detachment  from 
George  Rogers  Clark's  force  at  the  Illinois 
towns  seems  altogether  probable;  nevertheless 
it  must  rest  upon  probability  alone,  as  there  is 
no  positive  evidence  extant  that  such  was  the 
case.  Dismissing  thus  summarily  the  Revolu- 
tion, we  proceed  to  notice,  in  so  far  as  Crawford 
county  was  concei'ned, 

THE    LAST    WAR    WITH     GREAT    BRITAIN. 

On  the  18th  of  June,  1812,  the  declaration  of 
war  against  Great  Britain  was  made  by  Con- 
gress. The  protection  of  this  part  of  our  fron- 
tiers was  considered  of  great  importance  to  our- 
selves, as  its  possession  was  to  the  British.  In 
the  summer  of  1814,  the  Government  authori- 
ties at  St.  Louis  fitted  out  a  large  keel-boat, 
made  bullet  proof,  and  sent  it  with  what  men 
could  be  spared,  under  command  of  Lieut.  Per- 
kins, to  occupy  Prairie  du  Chien.  The  troops 
built  a  stockade  ujion  a  mound,  the  present 
site  of  the  Dousman  residence.  Its  ])rovisions 
for  defense  consisted  of  four  small  iron  cannon 
besides  the  small  arms  of  the  garrison.  The 
provisions  and  ammunition  remained  on  the  boat 
for  want  of  convenient  accommodations  in  the 


fort.  The  British  traders  of  Mackinaw  finding 
their  communication  with  tiie  ^Mississippi  inter- 
rupted, planned  the  capture  of  the  post.  A 
strong  expedition  was  fitted  out  and  jjlaced  un- 
der command  of  Lieut.  Col.  William  McKay,  a 
member  of  the  Northwest  Fur  Company,  an  en- 
terprising man  and  resolute  officer.  He  was 
given  two  companies  of  militia,  formed  among 
the  employees  of  the  traders.  One  of  these 
companies  wa«  commanded  by  Joseph  Rolette, 
of  Prairie  du  Chien.  About  eighteen  re^jular 
troops,  under  Capt.  Fchlman,  were  assigned  to 
the  command,  and  Col.  Dickson  furnished  Mc- 
Kay a  part  of  his  Indian  force,  numbering 
about  200  Sioux  and  100  Winnebago  warriors, 
and  at  Green  Bay  he  was  joined  by  about  thirty 
militia  and  100  Menomonees  and  Chippewas. 
The  force  now  numbered  about  1.50  whites  and 
400  Indians.  Proceeding  in  boats  up  Fox  river 
and  down  the  Wisconsin,  when  within  twenty- 
one  miles  of  the  prairie,  Michael  Brisbois  and 
Augustin  Grignon  were  dispatched  in  advance 
to  procure  information,  and  returned  with  the 
report  that  the  garrison  numbered  about  sixty. 
The  invaders  reached  the  vicinity  of  the  fort, 
unperceived,  about  10  o'clock  Sunday  morning, 
July  17,  when  its  officers  were  upon  the  point 
of  taking  a  ride  into  the  country. 

As  soon  as  the  British  and  Indians  were  dis- 
covered, the  citizens  left  their  houses  and 
retired,  some  to  the  stockade,  but  tlie  majority 
to  the  country.  Col.  McKay  made  an  impos- 
ing display  of  his  forces,  invested  the  fort 
above  and  below,  and  summoned  it  to  sur- 
render. Lieut.  Perkins  promptly  refused, where 


148 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


Tipon  some  forty  of  the  Green  Bay  militia 
and  Menomonees  gained  the  island  in  front  of 
the  village  and  in  the  rear  of  the  gun-boat,  to 
annoy  it  while  the  besiegers  opened  on  it  from 
the  land  side  with  a  brass  six-pounder.  One  of 
these  shots  striking  the  boat,  caused  a  leakage 
which,  toward  sundown,  induced  Capt.  Yeiser, 
its  commander,  to  swing  her  round  and 
move  down  stream.  The  garrison  called  on 
her  to  stop,  and,  being  unheeded,  fired  a  shot  to 
bring  her  round,  but  without  effect.  She  es- 
caped down  the  river,  igiiominiously  leaving 
the  garrison  almost  destitute  of  provisions  and 
ammunition.  Meanwhile,  the  besiegers  directe  1 
an  irregular  tire  of  small  arms  against  the  fort, 
which  was  occasionally  returned,  but  without 
effect  on  either  side.  The  second  day  was 
spent  by  the  besiegers  in  counselling,and  doing 
some  shooting  at  long  range.  That  night 
some  of  the  Indians  commenced  to  mine  from 
the  bank  of  the  river,  but  their  progress  toward 
the  stockade  was  so  slow  that  they  soon  gave  it 
up.  The  third  day  passed  as  inactively  as  the 
second.  The  fourth  day  McKay  prepared  to 
fire  the  fort  with  hot  shot,  to  be  followed  by 
an  assault,  when  a  white  flag  was  raised,  and 
two  officers  went  out  and  agreed  on  a  surrender 
of  the  post  and  stores,  the  garrison  to  retire  un- 
molested down  the  river.  The  formal  sur- 
render was  made  the  next  morning.  Strict 
orders  were  given  the  Indians  against  molest- 
ing the  disarmed  garrison,  and  an  attempt  by 
one  of  the  Sioux  to  strike  a  soldier,  was 
promptly  punished  by  a  knock  down  from  the 
war  club  of  a  chief.  McKay  had,  however, 
some  trouble  in  preventing  the  Indians,  es- 
pecially the  Winnebagoes,  from  plundering  the 
settlers,  who  had  by  this  time  returned  to  their 
homes.  After  several  days  the  prisoners  were 
dispatclied  down  the  river,  escorted  by  a  squad 
under  charge  of  Michael  Brisbois.  The  Mack- 
inaw forces  then  withdrew,  leaving  Capt. 
Pohlman  in  command  of  the  stockade,  which 
was  named  Fort  McKay,  and  was  garrisoned 
chiefly  by  militia,  enrolled   among   the   inhabi- 


tants of  the  village,  until  the  following  year, 
when,  upon  the  ratification  of  peace,  the  British 
commander  withdrew  from  the  place. 

Such,  in  brief,  is  the  history  of  the  war  as  en- 
acted in  what  is  now  Crawford  county.  From 
it,  only  a  general  idea  can  be  had  of  the  many 
stirring  events  which  transpired  on  the 
"prairie"  during  that  war.  Additional  particu- 
lars are  demanded  at  our  hands,  and  we  append, 
therefore,  a  recital  of  every  event  thought 
worthy  of  preservation. 

Concerning  McKay's    expedition,   James    H. 

Lock  wood  says: 

"At  this  time  [Sept.  1S16]  at  Prairie  du 
Chien  the  events  of  the  War  of  1812  in  this 
quarter  were  fresh  in  the  minds  of  every  one. 
I  learned  that  in  the  spring  or  summer  of  1814, 
the  United  States  government  sent  boats,  made 
bullet  proof,  under  a  captain  Yeiser,  who  was 
in  command  of  the  boats,  and  a  company  of 
United  States  troops,  under  Lieut.  Perkins, 
to  take  and  retain  possession  of  Prairie  du 
Chien.  Perkins  built  a  stockade  on  a  large 
mound,  on  which  Col.  Dousman's  house  now 
stands,  and  Capt.  Yeiser  remained  on  board 
the  boats  where  most  of  the  ammunition 
and  provisions  were  stored  as  there  was  no 
room  for  them  within  the  stockade. 

"Soon  after  the  breaking  out  of  the  war, 
when  the  American  ofticers  in  garrison  at 
Mackinaw,  and  the  citizens  of  that  place  were 
yet  ignorant  of  the  commencement  of  hostilities, 
but  apprehensive  that  war  had  been  declared, 
some  traders  were  dispatched  to  the  old  British 
post  and  settlement  of  St.  Josephs,  on  the  east- 
ern shore  of  Lake  Michigan,  for  intelligence. 
As  none  of  the  traders  returned,  remaining 
absent  so  much  longer  than  was  deemed  nec- 
essary, it  naturally  enough  excited  the  sus- 
picions of  the  commanding  oflicer  and  the 
principal  citizens  of  Mackinaw.  Under  the 
circumstances,  a  council  was  held,  at  which  it 
was  determined  that  immediate  information- 
must  be  had  from  St.  Josephs,  and  the  question 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


149 


then  was,  who  could  go  there  and  not  be  sus- 
pected of  being  a  spy.  After  looking  around 
and  finding  none  qualified  to  go, the  late  Michael 
Dousraan,  of  Mackinaw,  said  that  he  had  an 
outfit  in  Lake  Superior  that  ought,  by  that 
time,  to  be  at  St.  Josephs,  and  he  thought  that 
he  could  go  there  and  look  after  his  properlj- 
without  being  suspected.  Accordingly  he  vol- 
unteered his  services,  and  late  in  the  afternoon 
he  left  Mackinaw  for  St.  Josephs  in  a  canoe. 
About  dark,  at  Goose  island,  fifteen  miles 
from  Mackinaw,  he  met  the  British  troops  on 
their  way  to  that  place,  who  took  him  prisonei', 
but  released  him  on  his  parole  that  he  would 
go  back  to  Mackinaw,  and  not  give  the  garrison 
any  information  of  what  he  had  seen,  but  col- 
lect the  citizens  together  at  the  old  still-house 
on  the  southern  side  of  the  island,  where  a 
guard  would  be  immediately  sent  to  protect 
them  from  the  Indians.  This  promise  Mr. 
Dousman  faithfully  performed,  and  was  prob- 
ably the  ciuse  of  saving  many  an  innocent 
family  from  being  brutally  murdered  by  the 
savages.  The  British  arrived,  planted  their 
cannon  during  the  night,  and  in  the  morning 
sent  in  to  the  commanding  ofticer  a  copy  of  the 
declaration  of  war,  with  a  demand  for  him  to 
surrender,  which  he  complied  with. 

"'JMie  traders  in  the  British  interest,  resorting 
to  Mackinaw  as  the  British  headquarters  of  the 
northwest,  learning  of  the  American  occujjation 
of  Prairie  du  Cliien  in  1814,  and  anticipating, 
that  so  long  as  this  force  should  remain  there, 
they  would  be  cut  off  from  the  trade  of  Prairie 
du  Chien,  its  dependencies,  and  the  Sioux 
country,  at  once  set  on  foot  an  expedition  for 
the  re-capture  of  that  place.  The  British 
officers  and  traders  accordingly  fitted  out  an  ex- 
jicdition  under  the  command  of  Col  McKay,  of 
the  Indian  department,  an  old  trader;  and 
under  him  were,  a  sergeant  of  artillery  with  a 
brass  six  pounder,  and  three  or  four  volunteer 
companies  of  the  Canadian  voyaf/etirs,  com- 
manded by  traders  and  officered  by  their  clerks, 


all  dressed  in  red  coats,  with  probably  100 
Indians,  officered  by  half  breeds.*  Having 
made  a  secret  march  they  arrived  on  the  prairie 
without  being  expected,  and  made  the  best  dis- 
play of  red  coats  and  Indians  that  they  could. 
They  made  a  formidable  show,  and  the  Ameri- 
cans not  knowing  of  what  materials  they  were 
composed,  and  supposing  they  were  all  British 
regulars,  appeared  to  have  been  panic-struck. 
The  sergeant  had  brought  his  field  piece  so 
well  to  bear  that  lie  hit  one  of  the  boats,  I  be- 
lieve the  one  Yeiser  was  in.  During  this  time 
the  troops  and  Indians  had  made  a  move  to- 
wards the  fort,  but  keeping  out  of  gun  shot. 
On  the  boat  being  hit,  Capt.  Yeiser  had  the 
cable  cut,  and  swung  round  down  the  river, 
ordering  the  others  to  do  the  same,  carrying 
with  them  the  provisions  and  ammunition  of 
the  garrison.  After  the  boats  had  gone,  Col. 
McKay  summoned  the  fort  to  surrender,  and 
having  neither  provisions  nor  ammunition  they 
had  no  otheralternative,  and  accordingly  sur- 
rendered. The  British  took  and  kept  posses- 
sion of  Prairie  du  Chien  until  ]>cace,  in  1815, 
thus  opening  the  Indian  trade  to  the  traders  at 
Mackinaw.  The  inhabitants  of  Prairie  du 
C'hien  being  British  subjects,  were  ordered  into 
service  by  the  British  government  to  do  duty 
in  the  garrison  during  the  war.  The  British 
sergeant  of  artillery  for  hitting  the  keel-boat, 
was  promoted  by  his  government." 

grignon's  rkcoi.i.ections. 
Col.  McKay  came  with  his  force  in  boats  to 
Green  Bay,  where  he  tarried  awhile  to  increase 
his  numbers,  and  make  all  necessary  prepara- 
tions. A  company  of  the  Green  Bay  militia,  of 
about  thirty  persons,  and  many  of  them  old 
men  unfit  for  service,  was  raised;  of  which 
Pierre  Grignon  was  the  captain,  and  Peter 
Powell  and  myself  (Augustus  Grignon,)  the 
lieutenants.  At  the  bay,  James  J.  Porlier,  a 
youth    of   some    eighteen    years,    and    son '  of 


•There  werp  at  lenst  l.(K)0  Indinns  under  Col,  McKay,  as 
stated  in  the  iiccouiits  of  the  time,  and  not  legs  than  three 
pieces  of  light  artillery. 


150 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


Jacques  Porlier,  was  commissioned  a  lieutenant 
in  the  rea;ulars,  and  joined  Polilman's  company.* 

Here  about  .seventy-five  Menoraonees,  under 
Ma-clia-nah,  or  the  Hairy  Hand;  I-om-e-tah, 
Kish-kon-nau-kau-hom,  or  the  Cutting  off;  and 
Tamah's  son,  Mau-kau-tau-kee,  and  a  party  of 
about  twenty-five  Chippewas,  mixed  with  the 
Menomonees,  joined  the  expedition.  Our  entire 
force  now  consisted  of  400  Indians  and  150 
whites — such  was  the  understanding  at  the 
time;  if  the  newspapers  of  that  day  represented 
it  much  larger,  it  was  for  effect  on  the  pirt  of 
the  British  to  impress  the  Americans  with  an 
idea  of  their  great  strength  in  the  northwest; 
and  on  the  part  of  the  Americans,  in  palliation 
of  their  loss  at  Prairie  du  Chien. 

At  length  the  expedition  moved  forward  up 
Fox  river,  the  whites  in  six  boats  or  barges  and 
the  Indians  in  canoes,  and  carrying  their  craft 
over  the  Portage,  they  descended  the  Wiscon- 
sin. Reaching  the  old,  deserted  Fox  village,  on 
the  Wisconsin,  twenty-one  miles  from  Prairie 
du  Chien,  the  force  stopped,  while  Michael 
Brisbois,  myself,  a  Sioux  and  a  Winnebago  In- 
dian were  dispatched  to  Prairie  du  Chien  in 
the  night  to  obtain  a  citizen  and  bring  him  to 
Col.  McKay,  from  whom  to  obtain  intelligence. 
Descending  the  river  to  where  the  ferry  has 
since  been  located,  some  five  or  six  miles  from 
Prairie  du  Chien,  we  went  thence  across  by  land 
and  reached  the  place  without  difiiculty.  We 
saw  the  sentinel  on  duty  at  the  fort.  We  went 
to  Antoine  Brisbois,  the  uncle  of  Michael 
Brisbois,  of  one  party,  who  lived  three  miles 
above  the  town,  and  took  him  to  where  we  left 
our  canoe  at  the  ferry  place,  then  called  Petit 
Gris.  There  we  awaited  the  arrival  of  Col. 
McKay  and  his  force  and  they  made  their  ap- 
pearance the  next  morning,  when  the  sun  was 
about  an  iiour  iiigh.  Antoine  Brisbois  reported 
the  American  strength  in   the  garrison  at  sixty. 


*This  was  the  only  military  service  of  J.  J.  Porlier,  who  re- 
moiuetl  with  his  company  all  winter:  and  the  next  year, 
when  peace  was  proclaimed,  Capt.  Pohlman  evacuated  Fort 
McKay  at  Prairie  du  Chien,  and  returned  with  his  company 
to  Mackinaw.  Porlier  then  left  the  service,  enj^aged  in  trade 
at  Green  Bay,  raised  a  family  and  died  at  Grand  Kau-kau- 
Jin  in  1838, 


We  then  continued  down  to  the  mouth  of 
the  Wisconsin,  and  thence  up  almost  to  Prairie 
du  Chien  through  a  channel  or  bayou  between  a 
continuous  number  of  islands  imd  the  Missis- 
sippi. We  reached  the  town  about  10  o'clock 
unperceived.  As  this  was  Sunday  and  a  very 
pleasant  day  the  officers  of  the  garrison  were 
getting  ready  to  take  a  pleasure  ride  into  the 
country,  and  liad  McKay  been  an  hour  or  two 
later,  the  garrison  would  have  been  caught 
without  an  officer.* 

Nicholas  Boilvin  had  directed  a  man  named 
Sandy  to  go  out  and  drive  up  his  cattle,  as  he 
wished  to  kill  a  heifer  that  day,  and  have  some 
fresh  meat.  Sandy  went  out  and  soon  discov- 
ered the  British  approaching,  and  knew  from 
the  red  coats  worn  by  the  regulars  and  Capts. 
Rolette  and  Anderson,  for  none  of  the  rest  had 
any,  and  the  dozen  British  flags  displayed  by 
the  Indians,  that  it  was  a  British  force.  Sandy 
returned  cooly  to  Boilvin  and  said  there  wei'e 
"lots  of  red  cattle"  at  such  a  place,  and  invited 
him  to  go  with  him  and  see.  Boilvin  went  and 
scarcely  crediting  his  own  eyes,  asked  earnestly 
"What  is  that?"  "Why,  it  is  the  British!"  re- 
plied Smdy;  when  Boilvin,  who  was  the 
American  Indian  agent  at  Prairie  du  Chien,* 
hastened  to  h  s  house  and  C'H  veyed  his  family 
and  valuables  'o  the  gun-boat  for  safety.  All 
the  citizens  now  left  their  houses  and  fleil  from 
the  impending  danger,  some  to  the  fort,  but 
mostly  to  the  country. 


*  Joseph  Crelee,  of  Portage,  was  then  an  inhabitant  of 
Prairie  du  Chien  and  oorroliorates  Mr.  Grignon  in  this  part 
of  his  narrative:  stating-,  without  knowing  that  Mr. Griguon 
had  done  the  same,  that  the  English  made  their  appearance 
on  Sunday,  and  that  he,  C'relec,  had  loaned  his  horse  and 
wagon  to  one  of  the  olficcrs,who  were  generally  preparing  to 
go  a  riding  into  thecountrv:  and  that  if  Col.  McKay  had 
l)een  an  hour  later  there  would  not  have  been  an  American 
otticer  in  the  garrison.  Upon  the  alarm  being  given,  Crelee, 
with  many  others,  tied  to  the  fort,  and  he  shaied  in  the  de- 
fense until  the  surrender.  It  may  further  be  added  that  the 
newspapers  of  that  day  state  that  Col.  McKay  made  his  ap- 
pearance at  Prairie  du  Chien  on  the  ITth  of  .luly,  1SI4,  and 
the  17th  of  July  in  that  year  occurred  on  Sunday. 

*  Boilvin's  father,  during  the  Keyolutionary  War  re- 
sided at  Quebec,  and  was  there  very  kind  and  humane  to  a 
wounded  American  surgeon,  who  had  been  taken  prisoner; 
and  when  exchanged,  the  elder  Boilvin  gave  him  money  to 
carr.v  him  home.  After  the  war,  Nicholas  Boilvin  came  west 
as  an  Indian  trader,  and  did  not  succeed;  and  fortunately 
meeting  the  old  surgeon  at  St.  Louis,  whom  his  father  had 
befriended,  the  surgeon  succeeded  in  getting  Boilvin  ap- 
pointed Indian  agent. 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


151 


Upon  arriving  at  the  town,  making  a  very 
formidable  display  for  that  quiet  place  Rolette 
and  Anderson,  with  their  companies,  the  Sioux 
and  Winnebago  Indians,  were  directed  to  take 
post  above  the  fort,  while  Col.  McKay  himself, 
with  the  Green  Bay  company,  the  regulars,  the 
Menomonees  and  Chi]>pewas,  encompassed  it 
below.  A  flag  was  sent  in,  borne  by  Capt. 
Thomas  Andenson,  demanding  the  surrender  of 
the  garrison,  with  which  demand  Lieut.  Per- 
kins, the  commandant  of  the  post,  promptly 
declined  to  comply.  The  six-pounder,  under 
the  management  of  the  regulars,  was  now 
brought  to  bear  on  the  gun-boat  of  the  Ameri- 
cans; the  first  shot,  however,  fired  by  the  six- 
l)ounder,  was  a  blank  charge,  intended  as  a  sort 
of  war-flourish  or  bravado.  But  our  men  did 
not  take  a  very  near  position;  I  should  say  they 
were  lialf  a  mile  from  the  gun-boat,  if  not 
more,  and  hence  the  firing  upon  the  boat  by  the 
cannon,  and  the  firing  by  guns  or  cannon  from 
the  boat,  was  generally  iiiefFictnal.  When  the 
firing  first  commenced  on  the  gun-boat,  Capt. 
Grignon,  with  a  part  of  his  company  and  sev- 
eral iNIenomonees,  some  thirty  or  forty  alto- 
gether, were  directed  to  cross  the  river  in  two 
boats,  and  take  a  position  on  land  so  as  to 
annoy  and  aid  to  drive  oif  tie  gun-boat,  the  po- 
sition of  which  was  at  first  near  the  middle  of 
the  stream,  but  when  fired  upon,  had  moved 
over  nearer  the  western  shore.  During  the 
day  the  gun-boat  was  at  least  once  or  twice 
struck  by  the  balls  of  the  six-pounder,  and 
caused  a  bad  leakage,  whicli,  when  the  sun  was 
about  half  an  hour  high,  induced  its  com- 
m.inder  to  move  down  stream.  Seeing  this 
movement,  the  Americans  in  the  fort  called  out 
to  them  not  to  go  off;  but  this  being  unheeded, 
they  fired  their  cannon  at  the  boat  to  stop  it. 
Meanwhile  Capt.  Grignon  and  his  party  over 
the  river*  had  been  annoying  the  boat.     As  the 


*  The  newspapers  of  that  ilay.  aiirl  McAfee's  ITietory  of  the 
War  iti  tile  WcstiM'ii  Country,  unite  in  statin?  tliat  tliis  party 
bad  taken  position  on  an  island  opposite  to  Prairie  dti 
Chien.  eovered  with  timber,  whieh  served  to  screen  them 
from  the  shots  of  the  gun-boat.  This  appears  (|Uitc  prob- 
able. 


boat  passed  down  the  river,  one  six-pounder 
was  made  three  times  to  hit  her,  twice  on  the 
side  :ind  once  in  the  stern,  but  it  soon  got  be- 
yond our  reach.  Had  we  manned  some  of  our 
boats  and  pursued,  we  could  undoulitedly  have 
taken  it,  as  we  afterward  learned  that  it  leaked 
so  b.adly  that  the  Americans  had  to  stop  at  the 
nioutli  of  the  Wisconsin  and  repair  it.  The 
only  injury  the  firing  of  the  gun-boat  did  was  a 
ball,  before  noon,  striking  a  fence  post,  some  of 
the  slivers  of  which  inflicted  a  flesh  wound  in  the 
thigh  of  one  of  the  Menomonees. 

While  this  contest  was  progressing  with  the 
gun-boat,  McKay's  party  of  whites  and  Indians, 
on  all  sides  of  the  fort,  kept  up  an  irregular 
firing  of  small  arms,  which,  from  their  great 
distance  from  the  fort,  was  harmless;  and  thus 
if  they  did  no  harm,  they  were  out  of  the  way 
of  receiving  any  in  turn.  At  length  towards 
noon,  Col.  McKay  ordered  his  men  to  advance 
over  the  Marais  St.  Freol,  a  swampy  spot,  and 
lake  position  much  nearer  the  fort — not  more 
ihan  a  quarter  of  a  mile  distant.  This  was 
obeyed  by  those  on  the  lower  side  of  the  fort, 
vho  had  a  sufliciency  of  houses  to  shield  them 
from  the  guns  of  the  garrison.  From  this  new 
position,  the  firing  was  somewhat  increased;  but 
the  men  under  Rolette  and  Anderson,  with 
the  Sioux  and  Winnebagoes,  on  the  upper  side 
of  the  fort,  kept  at  a  safe  distance,  fully  hal/  a 
mile  off,  but  they  reallj'  needed  no  protection 
at  that  distance  against  small  arms.  In  tlie 
fort  were  four  iron  cannon,  somewhat  larger 
than  six-pounders,  and  these  were  occasionally 
fired.*  Whenever  Capt.  Rolette  would  see  the 
flash  of  the  cannon,  he  would  give  the  rather 
unmilitary  order  of  "Down,  my  men,  down!" 
A  couple  of  Winnebagoes  discovering  that 
there  were  some  hams  in  a  house,  which  had 
been  deserted,  and  to  which  they  could  not 
gain  an  entrance,  mounted  upon  the  roof,  in- 
tending to   tear  off  some    shingles,    when  they 


♦Probably  there  was  not  much  ammunition  in  the  fort,  and 
they  wished  to  he  sparlnir  of  it,  for  closer  action,  if  it 
sho'uld  como  to  that;  for  it  has  been  slated,  that  thetrun-boat 
contained  the  maKa/.inc  of  powder,  ami  that  had  departed. 


10 


152 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


were  espied  from  the  fort,  and  each  wounded  in 
the  thigh,  when  they  quiclily  retreated  from 
their  exposed  situation. 

The  second  day  the  men  and  Indians  amused 
themselves  with  some  long  shooting,  but  Col. 
McKay  and  his  officers  spent  the  day  in  conn- 
gelling  as  to  the  best  course  of  procedure.  It 
was  pretty  much  resolved  to  make  an  assault, 
and  towards  evening  assembled  the  leading 
Indian  chiefs,  and  laid  the  plan  of  an  assault  be- 
fore them,  when  the  Winnebago  chief  Sar-cel, 
or  The  Teal,  remarked  that  he  and  his  people 
remembered  too  well  taking  part  with  the  Sha- 
wanoes  in  assaulting  an  American  fort,  and 
were  beaten  back  with  terrible  slaughter, — 
probably  alluding  to  the  attack  on  Fort  Re- 
covery,* in  Wayne's  Indian  war  in  1793, — and 
they  would  not  like  to  resort  to  so  hazardous 
an  experiment;  but  proposed  a  better  and  safer 
way — to  spring  a  mine  from  the  river  bank  and 
blow  up  the  garrison.  Col.  McKay  did  not 
waste  words  unnecessarily,  but  simply  replied, 
"Go  at  it."  Teal  and  his  Winnebogoes  spent  a 
part  of  the  evening  digging  but  found  their 
progress  in  undermining  was  slow,  and  after 
penetrating  a  dozen  or  fifteen  feet,  they  gave  it 
up  as  a  bad  job.  As  the  fort  was  several  hun- 
dred feet  from  the  river  bank,  it  would  have 
been  an  interminable  operation  for  the  Indians 
to  have  attempted  to  prosecute  their  scheme  to 
completion. 

Nothing  of  moment  occurred  the  third  day, — 
as  usual  some  little  firing  was  done.  Col. 
McKay  sent  into  the  country  about  three  miles 
for  a  load  of  straw,  which  was  made  up  into 
small  bundles  to  have  in  readiness  to  place  in 
the  darkness  of  night,  with  kegs  of  powder  near 
the  fort,  and  fire  a  train  of  straw  leading  to  the 
powder,  and  thus  make  a  breach  in  the  enclos- 
ure. But  this  was  only  designed  as  a  dernier 
resort.     During  this  day  or  the  preceding  one, 

♦  Pe-sheu,  or  the  Wild  Cat,  and  Sar-cel,  once  got  into  a 
wrangle  in  which  their  bravery  was  called  in  question,  when 
Pe-sheu  put  a  clincher  by  saying  to  Sar-cel,  "Don't  you  re- 
member the  time  we  aided  the  Shawanoes  in  attacking  the 
fort,  that  you  ran  o£f  so  fast  that  you  lost  your  breech- 
cloth?" 


a  Fox  Indian  received  a  spent  ball  which 
lodged  between  his  scalp  and  skull;  it  was  cut 
out,  and  the  wound  was  so  slight  as  to  prove  no 
obstacle  to  his  sharing  in  the  further  events  of 
the  siege. 

The  fourth  day  Col.  McKay  resolved  to  ac- 
complish something  more  decisive.  About 
3  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  with  his  troops 
properly  stationed,  and  cannon  balls  heated  red 
hot  in  a  blacksmith's  forge,  I  was  sent  to  go 
round  and  specially  direct  the  interpreters  to 
order  the  Indians  not  to  fire  on  the  fort  till  the 
cannon  should  commence  playing  the  hot  shot, 
and  the  fort  should  be  set  on  fire;  then  to  use 
their  muskets  as  briskly  as  possible.  Scarcely 
had  these  directions  been  given,  when  the 
Americans,  probably  seeing  from  indications 
that  a  severe  assault  of  some  kind  was  about  to 
be  made,  raised  the  white  flag.  Two  officers 
now  came  out  and  met  Col.  McKay — strict  or- 
ders having  been  given  to  the  Indians  not  to 
fire  on  these  Americans,  on  the  pain  of  being 
themselves  fired  on  by  the  British  troops. 
The  result  wns,  a  surrender  was  agreed  on;  Col. 
McKay  should  have  possession  of  the  fort  and 
public  stores,  and  the  Americans  be  permitted 
to  retire  unmolested  in  boats  down  the  river. 
By  this  time  it  was  too  late  to  go  through  with 
a  formal  surrender,  which  was  postponed  till 
the  next  morning. 

A  little  before  the  appointed  time  to  give  up 
their  arms,  one  of  the  Winnebagoes  seeing  a  sol- 
dier in  the  fort,  made  a  motion  to  him  to  shake 
hands;  the  soldier  reached  his  hand  through  a 
port-hole,  when  the  Winnebago  seized  it  and 
cut  off  one  of  his  fingers,  and  ran  off  with  his 
singular  trophy.  As  Lieut.  Perkins  and  his 
men  marched  out  from  the  fort  to  lay  down 
their  arms,  a  Sioux  warrior  attempted  to  strike 
one  of  the  soldiers,  when  a  chief,  a  son-in-law  of 
Wau-ba-sha  V,  knocked  down  his  treacherous 
countryman  with  his  war-club.  Col.  McKay 
had  given  such  strict  orders  to  the  Indians 
against  raassacreing  or  molesting  the  Americans, 
and  to  the  regulars  and  militia  to  keep  the  In- 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


153 


dians  in  awe,  that  nothing  more,  so  far  as  I 
know,  transpired,  tliat  had  the  least  appearance 
of  treachery  on  the  part  of  the  Indians. 

When  the  American  flag  was  hauled  down. 
Col.  McKay  was  the  first  to  observe  the  singular 
fact,  that  though  it  was  completely  riddled  else- 
where with  balls,  the  representation  of  the 
American  eagle  was  untouched.  The  Indians, 
during  the  whole  four  days  had  directed  many 
shots  at  the  flag  and  had  shot  off  one  of  the 
cords,  which  let  the  banner  part  way  down  the 
flag  staff,  and  there  it  remained  till  the  surren- 
der. The  flag  staff  was  planted  near  the  center 
of  the  fort. 

Several  days  elapsed  before  arrangements 
were  completed  by  which  to  send  the  prisoners 
down  the  river.  When  they  took  their  depart- 
ure, they  escorted  Michael  Brisbois,  with  a 
suitable  guai'd,  but  I  do  not  know  how  large  a 
guard,  as  I  h  i<l  [ireviously  left.  I  understood 
C'ol.  McKay  gave  the  Americans  their  arms  as 
they  started  down  the  river;  bui  I  have  no 
knowledge  of  llicir  Vx'ing  followed  by  the  In- 
dians. 

Capt.  Pohlmin,  with  his  regulars,  reni.iiiied 
in  command,  with  the  two  Mackinaw  conipaiiu > 
under  Cipt.  Anderson  and  Lieut.  Duncan  Gra- 
ham, wiio  was  now  promoted  to  the  ca])taincy 
of  his  company,  as  Capt.  Rolette  had  bee^i  sent 
with  dispatches  to  Mackinaw  immediately  after 
the  surrender. 

McKay  had  much  difliculty  in  managing  his 
Sioux  and  Winnebago  allies,  particularly  the 
latter.  At  the  first  investment  of  the  place, 
when  these  Indians  were  placed  with  the  Mack- 
inaw militia  above  the  fort,  they  had  in  the  most 
wanton  manner,  sIkU  down  a  number  of  horses 
and  cattle  belonging  to  the  citizens,  much  to  the 
regret  and  ve.\ation  of  the  British  commander; 
and  after  tiie  surrender,  the  Winnebagoes 
swarmetl  arouiul  among  the  settlers,  to  openly 
plunder  them  of  anything  they  might  desire; 
and  McKay  was  under  the  necessity  of  threat- 
ening to  turn  his  troops  against  them,  if  they 
did  not  instantly  desist,  and  go  off  home.     The 


Indians  once  off.  Col.  McKay,  the  Green  Bay 
troops,  Menomonees  and  Chippewas  took  their 
departure. 

Capt.  Rolette  at  length  with  his  boat  liove 
in  sight  of  Mackinaw.  Large  numbers  thronged 
the  shore,  anxiously  waiting  to  learn  the^ti- 
dings  from  Prairie  du  Chien.  '•Capt.;_Rolette, 
what  is  the  news?"  "A  great  battle — a  sanguin- 
ary contest,"  responded  Rolette,  with  an  air  of 
great  solemnity  and  importance.  "How  many 
were  killed?"  "Nh7ie/"  "How  many  wounded?" 
^^None/"  "What  a  bloody  contesti"  vociferously 
shouted  the  crowd,  as  they  «scorled  the  hero 
from  the  boat  to  the  garrison. 

Capt.  Pohlman  continued  in  command  at  Prai- 
rie du  Chien  till  after  the  peace,  which  ensued 
the  following  year,  when  the  fort  was  evacuated. 
I  may  mention  one  incident  of  the  winter  after 
my  departure.  A  couple  ot  Frenchmen,  named 
Dubois  and  Chaupanie,  the  former  a  half-breed 
Sioux,  and  brother-in-law  of  ('apt.  Rolette,  were 
sent  to  a  Sioux  camp  to  obtain  some  venison  for 
Rolette.  While  at  the  camp,  a  Sioux  Indian 
demanded  first,  a  gun,  and  then  some  ammiini- 
inii,  which  being  refused,  he  concluded  to  ac. 
company  them  on  their  return  to  Capt.  Rolette, 
siying  that  Rolette  would  let  him  have  what  lie 
wanted.  While  the  two  men  were  asleep  before 
their  camp-fire  in  the  night,  the  Sioux,  wlio  lay 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  fire,  got  up,  took  the 
only  gun,  and  shot  them  both  at  the  same  dis- 
charge, killing  Chau])anio  on  the  spat,  and  mor- 
tally wounding  the  other.  The  Indian  now  ran 
off,  and  Dubois,  though  distant  a  day's  journey, 
reached  Prairie  du  Chien,  and  died  sliortly  afier. 
The  Sioux  chief  of  that  band  was  taken  and  de- 
tained till  the  murderer  was  broiyifht  in,  who 
was  tried  and  shot.  He  was  a  bad  Indian,  and 
was  much  feared  by  his  own  people. 

Of  Col.  McKay,  I  can  only  state  in  addition, 
that  after  the  war  he  retired  to  Montreal, 
where  he  long  since  ended  his  daj-s.  He  was  a 
fine  looking,  tall,  well  i)roportioned  man,  but 
was  regarded  as  strict,  and  sometimes  severe 
over  those   in   his  em])loy  in  the  Indian  trade. 


154 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


I  knew  Col.  Robert  Dickson  from  his  first  com- 
ing from  England,  as  I  think,  and  engaging  in 
the  Indian  trade.  He  commenced  his  career  as 
a  trader  about  the  year  1790,  and  traded  princi- 
pally with  the  Sioux,  and  continued  till  the  war  ; 
after  the  war  he  did  not  renew  the  business. 
He  was  very  humane  to  American  prisoners 
during  the  war,  rescuing  many  from  the  Indians; 
and  in  after  years  he  several  times  received  let- 
ters from  such,  enclosing,  presents  of  money,  as 
tokens  of  their  gratitude.  He  was  a  large  man, 
of  full  face,  tall  and  commanding.  He  had  a 
Sioux  wife  and  four  children. 

Anderson's  journal,  1814.* 
Wednesday,  August  10,  1814.— Col.  McKay 
set  off  at  10  o'clock  in  the  morning;  would 
not  allow  any  guns  to  be  fired.  In  the  after- 
noon a  few  Renards  (Foxes)  arrived  from  the 
Riviere  au  D'Inde,  and  brought  word  that  they 
had  seen  the  two  barges  that  had  went  adrift 
from  this  place.  The  Tonnerre  Noir,  or  Black 
Thundei',  a  Yankee  Indian  passed  on  his  way 
above,  unperceived. 

Thursday,  August  11. — Gave  out  some  few 
articles  of  goods  to  the  Michigan  Volunteers, 
by  Col.  McKay's  orders  previous  to  leaving. 
Gave  out  twelve  carrots  of  tobacco  to  be  dis- 
tributed among  the  troops  in  general.  Tliis 
was  done  because  it  is  customary  to  allow  the 
people  of  this  place  to  smoke  as  a  preventive 
to  sickness.  The  want  of  provisions  obliges 
me  to  give  every  assistance  to  the  farmers  to  get 
in  their  grain  as  fast  as  possible.  I,  therefore, 
allow  all  the  volunteers  that  are  not  on  duty, 
to  go  and  work  for  them  in  the  day-time.  Em- 
ployed the  sergeant  of  artillery  men,  with  some 
of  the  Michigans,  in  making  leaden  three-pound 
balls.  Appointed  a  patrol  to  go  about  at  night 
in  order  to  detect  stragglers,  if  any  such  per- 
sons should  be  found,  that  they  may  give  an 
account  of  themselves. 


*  '  'Journal  of  the  Proceedings  at  Fort  McKay  from  the 
Beparture  of  Lieut. Col.  McKay,  for  Mackinaw,  compre- 
hending the  particulars  of  every  occurring-  circumstance  in 
and  out  of  the  Fort,  within  the  vicinity  of  Prairie  du  Chien." 
By  Capt.T.  G    Anderson. 


Friday,  August  12.  —  Sent  off  twelve  men 
with  an  interpreter,  and  two  Indians  for  the 
barges  that  drifted  away  from  this  place.  One 
of  the  volunteers  by  the  name  of  Aslin,  hav- 
ing refused  to  go  on  fatigue,  and  having  ab- 
sented himself  without  leave,  I  put  in  close 
confinement,  and  allow  him  one  and  one  half 
pounds  of  bread,  and  two  quarts  of  water  per 
day,  till  further  orders.  At  3  in  the  after- 
noon, eight  canoes  of  Renards  came,  and  landed 
at  the  entrance  of  the  Marais,  a  little  below  the 
Prairie.  From  there  the  chief  with  another 
came  up  and  asked  leave  to  offer  some  scalps 
they  had  brought.  I  gave  them  leave,  and  they 
returned  for  their  canoes.  This  being  the 
Prince  Regent's  birthday,  put  off  jiracticiug  at 
the  cannon  till  to-morrow.  The  small  store  of 
powder  we  have  here,  prevented  our  firing  the 
customary  salute  on  this  day.  At  4,  the 
canoes  arrived,  and  asked  to  speak  with  me.  I 
told  the  Indians  to  repair  to  the  house  lately 
belonging  to  Mr.  Boilvin.  The  head  man,  not 
a  chief,  got  up  and  gave  me  his  hand,  saying  : 
"My  father,  we  are  ashamed-to  present  you  with 
these  scalps  (holding  four  scalps  in  his  hand,) 
because  we  did  not  kill  them  ourselves  ;  but  got 
three  of  them  from  our  friends,  the  Sauks,  and 
one  we  picked  up  on  our  way  here — a  man,  that 
we  supposed  your  guns  had  killed,  in  the  gun- 
boat where  you  fought ;  he  was  lying  on  a  sand 
bank."  Then  presenting  me  with  a  few  articles 
of  American  clothing,  said  :  "We  give  you 
these  things,  to  wish  you  a  good  day,  as  they 
came  from  the  enemy,  hoping  you  will  give  us 
Kome  assistance."  Another  Indian  rising  and 
showing  me  his  leather  breech-cloth  :  "  Mv 
father,  I  beg  of  you  some  little  assistance  ;  you 
see  iiow  miserable  I  am  off,  being  obliged  to 
wear  a  leather  petticoat." 

To  these  requests  I  gave  the  following  an- 
swer :  "I  am  happy  to  see  you,  but  am  much 
chagrined  that  I  have  not  a  mouthful  of  provis- 
ions to  give  you.  As  Tor  powder,  toliacco,  and 
goods,  you  need  not  speak  of  these  articles,  for 
your  father"   (alluding  to    C'ol.  McKay,)  "after 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


155 


the  battle  of  the  Rapids,  and  previous  to  liis 
departure  gave  to  the  Sauks  and  Renards  twenty 
kegs  of  gunpowder  and  fourteen  bales  of  goods 
to  be  distributed  among  sucb  Indians  of  these 
Nations  as  we  knew  to  be  good  subjects,  and 
must  support.  But  in  the  space  of  twenty  or 
twenty-five  days  there  will  be  a  strong  re-in- 
forcement  of  troops  here,  and  plenty  of  amnui- 
nition  and  other  goods.  Those  Indians  that 
merit  support,  will  have  it  amply  ;  but  those 
that  are  attached  to  the  Americans,  as  many  of 
the  Renards  are,  will  be  treated  as  we  treat  bad 
dogs." 

At  half  past  4  o'clock  Lieut.  Urisbois  arrived, 
having  been  below  the  rapids  of  the  Riviere  des 
Moines,  with  theprison"rs.  He  brought  nothing 
new.  At  sun-down  the  fatigu;-  party  I  sent  for 
the  barges  arrived,  with  the  two  barges,  having 
received  no  injury. 

Saturday,  August  13,  1  p.  m. — A  Sioux  canoe 
arrived  from  above,  bringing  word  that  Feuille's 
band,  in  diiuking  their  rum,  fought  much,  but 
witliout  anus,  among  themselves.  They  were 
about  to'kill  the  Aile  Rouge,  or  Red  Wing, 
but  he  ran  away.  At  4,  the  Renards,  that  gave 
me  four  scalps  yesterday,  assembled,  and  re- 
quested of  me  to  return  them  the  scalps,  ob- 
serving that  they  were  the  enemies'  scalps  that 
we  had  killed  with  our  little  cannon  ;  but  that 
I  did  not  want  such  trophies,  as  we  never  took 
off  the  scalps  of  our  enemies.  Speaking  of  their 
loyalty,  I  answered  them  that  it  was  not  possi- 
ble to  depend  upon  their  Nation  in  general  ; 
that  I  knew  that  there  were  some  good  subjects 
among  them,  but  many  bad  ones.  That  when 
they  saw  Robert  Dickson,  how  they  came  and 
cried  to  him  for  support ;  and  as  soon  as  their 
English  Father  was  fond  of  his  children  he 
always  assisted  them  ;  but  their  jnisfortune 
was,  that  as  soon  as  his  back  was  turned,  and 
they  saw  the  Americans,  some  among  them  im- 
mediately raised  their  war  clubs  over  our  heads. 
I  am  sorry  to  speak  to  you  in  this  way,  but 
necessity  requires  it,  as  I  do  not  know  the  good 
from   the   bad.       When    your  English  Father 


speaks  to  his  well-known  good  children,  he 
does  it  with  an  open  hand  and  heart ;  but  when 
lie  knows  he  speaks  to  bad  subjects,  he  does  it 
with  an  arm  in  his  hand.  But  the  time  is 
drawing  near  when  a  fire  will  be  kindled,  as  in 
a  meadow  where  there  are  stout  trees.  The 
bad  hay  will  be  burned  down,  and  the  fire  will 
protect  the  stout  trees  and  leave  them  to  grow 
without  being  annoyed. 

Sunday,  August  l'^  12  o'oclock. — Went  out 
to  the  farms  to  inquire  about  mills,  in  order  to 
get  some  fiour  made  immediately.  The  mills 
are  in  bad  order,  but  they  will  get  them  re- 
paired ;  and  as  soon  as  the  harvest  gets  in  they 
will  begin  to  grind  the  wheat.  At  3,  returned 
and  found  two  of  the  Michigans  drunk.  They 
had  stolen  rum  out  of  a  keg  that  had  been 
issued  for  a  party  going  for  a  gun-boat  of  the 
enemy,  being  a  little  above  Fort  Madison. 
AVhen  I  arrived  they  were  lying  drunk.  I 
ordered  them  into  the  guard-house.  They  were 
very  insolent  to  the  sergeant,  and  in  fact 
rushed  out  of  the  block-house  where  they  were 
confined,  havi)ig  no  sentry  over  them,  and  be- 
haved with  violence,  taking  up  clubs  to  defend 
themselves  from  the  guard,  when  I  ordered 
them  a  second  time  to  be  kept  close.  Having 
only  one  pair  of  fetters,  I  had  them  put  on  to 
one  of  them  ;  the  other  I  had  tied. 

Monday,  August  15. — At  9,  seven  canoes, 
Renards  from  the  Riviere  au  D'Inde,  arrived. 
Having  received  a  letter  in  French,  from  Capt. 
Grignon,  on  the  12th  inst.,  the  difficulty  of  de- 
ciphering it  prevented  my  inserting  till  to-day, 
as  follows  : 

Fort  McKay,  Aug.  12,  1814. 
C.M'r.  T.  G.  Anderson,  Com'g  Fort  McKay  : 

Sir — I  beg  you  to  take  into  consideration  the 
request  which  1  made  of  Lieut.  Col.  McKay, 
which  lie  accepted.  As  I  do  not  intend  to  act 
in  anything  that  would  be  disagreeable  to  you; 
and  knowing  your  intelligence,  I  hope  that  you 
will  take  everything  into  consideration.  My 
only  object  is  to  prove  as  much  as  my  feeble 
knowledge  permits,  to  submit  my  views  of  pub- 


15G 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


lie  matters,  which  are  founded  upon  truth,  and 
which  are  of  the  greatest  importance  to  make 
known,  and  should  be  understood  everywhere, 
being  interested  for  the  service  of  His  Majesty, 
etc. 

1.  The  provisions  which  are  absolutely  in- 
dispensable, and  which  it  would  be  a  failure 
not  to  recognize  [are  wanting].  You  know  that 
the  inhabitants  of  Green  Bay  are  without  help 
for  their  harvest,  and  that  it  is  impossible  for 
them  to  gather  their  crops  without  assistance. 
A  mill  there  stands  idle  for  lack  of  workmen. 
It  is  important  for  them  to  be  provided  with 
flour,  unless  affairs  at  Mackinaw  should  permit 
the  furnishing  an  immediate  supply,  or  I  should 
not  be  allowed  to  return  home  (the  people 
there  must  suffer). 

It  would  be  possible  to  send  the  powder  you 
need,  from  that  place  ;  I  myself  could  furnish 
250  pounds.  Here  you  need  to  be  provided 
with  the  munitions  of  war ;  you  have  not 
enough  for  the  force  you  have,  and  what  is  the 
need  of  us  (xreen  Bay  people  here  "?  Without 
additional  supplies  you  will  be  unable  to  defend 
the  place  ;  it  is  like  a  body  without  a  soul.  If 
permitted  to  return  to  the  bay,  and  you  should 
have  information  of  the  approach  of  the  enemy, 
I  think  that,  receiving  notice,  I  could  come  to 
your  assistance  as  soon  as  the  (Indian)  Natio.is 
nearest  here  ;  and  the  Nations  of  Fox  river 
would  come  more  promptly  with  me  than  by 
sending  a  message  to  them,  which  would  only 
be  met  by  procrastination,  as  usual. 

2.  The  provisions  which  arc  being  consumed 
here  by  so  many,  it  would  be  better,  in  my 
opinion,  to  husband  in  part,  for  another  time 
(when  the  enemy  should  threaten  and  re-in- 
forcements  should  be  needed).  It  is  costly  to 
transport  supplies  for  so  many  men  from  Mack- 
inaw. As  there  are  not  sufficient  munitions  for 
those  here,  it  has  been  my  intention  to  obtain 
leave  to  go  to  the  Illinois  with  some  volunteers. 
I  have  tried  to  raise  the  Sacs  and  Foxes,  in 
order  to  embroil  them  with  the  enemy.  Such 
were  the  intentions  of  your  servant,  and  more. 


I  need  say  nothing  further.  I  hope  for  a 
furlough,  and  not  transportation,  as  early  as 
possible,  with  a  letter  of  recommendation  to 
the  commander  at  Mackinaw,  if  agreeable  to 
you  to  grant  it. 

I  am,  sir,  etc.,  etc., 

Pierre  GRiGNoy,  Capt. 

My  answer  was  as  follows: 

Fort  McKay,  August  15,  1814. 
Captain  Grignon: 

Sir. — In  answer  to  your  letter  of  the  r2th  inst. 
I  have  to  say  that  as  to  the  request  you  say  you 
made  of  Col.  McKay,  I  know  nothing  about  it. 
Summing  up  the  contents  of  your  letter,  I  find 
you  want  permission  to  return  home,  a  request 
I  cannot  take  upon  myself  to  grant,  for  two 
reasons:  first,  that  it  was  optional  with  you, 
previous  to  the  colonel's  departure,  to  remain 
here,  or  return  to  your  home;  secondly,  you  are 
on  the  list  with  those  to  do  garrison  duty  here 
till  the  re-inforcement  arrives  from  Mackinaw. 
As  to  provision,  the  less  said  on  this  subject 
the  better.  The  object  of  our  coming  here  was 
to  make  use  of  our  arms,  etc. 

As  to  your  good  intentions,  and  wish  to  go 
and  burn  St.  Louis,*  I  conceive  it  to  be  out  of 
tlie  question  to  harbor  any  such  idea,  with  any 
number  of  the  Indians,  and  perhaps  forty  or 
fifty  volunteers  that  you  with  difficulty  could 
muster.  Attacking  and  totally  destroying  so 
formidable  a  place  as  that,  is  in  my  opinion, 
absurd.  I  am  much  obliged  to  you  for  your 
offer  of  powder,  and  am  sorry  it  is  out  of  reach. 
Having  answered  the  principal  subjects  of  your 
letter,  I  am  sir,  your  liumble  servant, 

Thos.  G.  Anderson,  Capt.  Comd'g. 

At  10,  Lieut.  Graham  went  off  to  try  and  get 
the  gun-boat,  as  mentioned  in  yesterday's  or- 
ders. At  6  p.  M.  a  violent  thunder  storm,  with 
rain  and  much  lightning.  The  firmament  was 
as  if  in  a  continual   blaze,  from  7  till  10. 

Tuesday,  August  16th. — At  10  called  up  the 
Michigans  that  were  confined  on  Sunday.  When 

*A8  this  intention  does  not    appear  in    Capt.   Grignon'e 
letter,  it  must  have  been  derived  from  verbal  expressions. 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


15-? 


they  proved  that  they  got  the  rum,  with  which 
they  got  drunk  ou  Sunday,  from  one  of  the  vol- 
unteers, I  sent  for  him ,  liberated  the  two  Mioh- 
igaiis,  and  put  him  in  their  place.  The  Miclii- 
gans  deserved,  perhaps,  to  be  more  rigorously 
punished;  but  their  corps  being  my  principal 
support,  would  not  admit  of  my  being  too 
strict  with  them  for  the  present.  At  5,  a  canoe 
of  Puants  arrived  from  their  village  on  the 
Ouisconsin.  Kept  a  party  at  work  making 
swivel  bullets.  Finished  covering  the  house. 
At  half  past  8  the  volunteer  in  the  guard  house 
was  on  the  point  of,  and  threatening  to  break 
out,  when  I  ordered  him  to  be  put  in  irons. 

\Yednesday,  August  iVth. — Got  the  artificers 
at  work  widening  the  passage  through  the  fort, 
but  could  not  complete  it  entirely.  At  9  p.  m. 
the  Feuille,  or  Leaf,  arrived  with  five  of  his 
young  men.  He  ha-l  heard  by  the  Renards 
that  the  Americans  were  coming  up,  and  that 
cannon  had  been  lieard  tiring  below  the  Rock 
river  lately,  and  that  a  barge  had  arrived  from 
Mackinaw.  The  report  )(  the  tiring  of  the  can- 
non we  knew  to  be  false.  Lieut.  Brisbois  lias 
just  come  from  there,  and  if  a  barge  had  arrived 
from  Mackinaw,  no  doubt  we  would  have  had 
letters  from  there.  Those  vagabonds  made  this 
news  in  hopes  to  make  themselves  pass  for 
friendly  Indians. 

Thursday,  August  18th. — At  10  the  Feuille 
came  to  the  fort,  when  I  told  him  the  talk  I  had 
held  with  the  Renards,  the  whole  of  which,  he 
agreed,  was  perfectly  right.  I  gave  him  the 
four  scalps  I  got  from  the  Renards.  He 
told  me,  that  in  the  course  of  a  few  days,  he 
would  send  down  to  hoar  the  news,  and  after 
that,  he  would  come  down  himself  with  the 
men  of  his  band  to  wait  the  arrival  and  com- 
mand of  his  father,  Robert  Dickson.  I  gave 
him  a  few  loaves  of  bread,  and  he  went  off. 
At  2  o'clock  this  morning,  John  Campbell,  of 
the  volunteers,  having  repeatedly  refused  to  do 
duty,  I  sent  the  corporal  of  the  guard  with  two 
men,  and  brought  him  up.  In  (juestioning  him 
and  asking  him  his  reasons  for  his  not  attend- 


ing, he  said  he  would  not  mount  guard  as  long 
as  he  could  get  work  to  gain  anything  by.  I 
told  him  he  had  better  do  his  turn  of  duty  with 
the  others.  He  immediately  mounted  his  high 
horse,  and  began  to  talk  in  a  high  tone,  when 
I  commanded  him  to  be  silent.  He  became  in- 
solent, and  told  me  he  did  not  care  a  d — n 
for  me.  I  ordered  him  to  the  guard  house. 
Kennet,  who  was  put  in  irons  on  Tuesday,  con- 
tinues in  the  guard-house  with  his  irons  on  him; 
is  very  abusive,  and  threatens  every  person  in 
the  garrison  without  exception.  The  fort  door, 
and  well  completed. 

Friday,  August  1 9th. — The  ofiicers,  etc.,  took 
two  lessons  at  the  gun,  and  got  on  very  well. 
Let  John  Campbell  out  of  the  guard-house.  A 
heavy  shower  in  the  morning.  Got  word  that 
the  Renards  above  had  found  the  Indian  that 
got  drowned  while  going  up  with  the  Little 
Corbeau.  They  say  he  had  his  feet  tied  togeth- 
er. Got  the  carpenter  to  work  making  a  scaf- 
fold, on  which  for  a  sentry  to  stand  high,  and 
see  over  the  pickets.  One  of  the  swivels  well 
mounted,  and  in  the  blacksmith's  hands,  to  be 
bound,  and  ironed  completely.  Gave  out  a 
second  to  be  mounted. 

Saturday,  August  20th. — At  6,  practiced  at 
the  gun  till  a  quarter  past  8.  Went  around 
to  arrange  with  the  farmers  for  flour.  They 
will  begin  to  thrash  out  their  wheat  on  Monday. 
I  promised  them  every- assistance.  At  10,  the 
.Michigans  were  drilled.  At  2  p.  m.,  gijt  the 
other  three-pounder  mounted,  and  went  out  in 
brigade  at  4  o'clock,  practicing  sham  fighting 
till  6,  when  we  returned  to  the  fort.  At  half 
])ast  .3  P.  M.,  three  young  Renards  arrived 
with  a  pipe,  they  say,  from  the  Sauks,  who  send 
me  word  that  the  Americans  were  on  their  way 
up  here  in  barges.  They  say  they  do  not  deceive 
me,  three  different  couriers  having  seen  the 
barges  above  the  Cap  au  Gris  ten  days  ago.  The 
Sauks  request  me  to  go  down  to  the  rapids  with 
all  the  forces  here,  and  meet  the  enemy  there, 
and  at  the  same  time  take  them  ammunition  and 
guns.     I  told  them  I  could  give  them  an  answer 


158 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


in  the  morning,  as  they  told  me  this  news  at 
7  o'clock  in  the  evening.  I  cannot  put  faith  in 
this  report.  The  couriers  cannot  inform  me  the 
number  of  the  enemy's  barges,  nor  can  they  tell 
me  the  number  of  young  Sauks  that  brought  the 
pipe  to  the  Renarcl  village.  They  ask  for  am- 
munition and  guns,  two  articles  they  have  been 
repeatedly  told  that  we  have  none;  and  Col. 
McKay,  when  he  gave  the  Epervier  Noir,  or 
Black  Sparrow  Hawk,  the  last  present,  told  him 
positively  he  need  not  expect  any  further  supply 
of  powder  till  tlie  ro-inforcement  came  out.  All 
these  circumstances  considered,  I  conceived  it  to 
be  a  made  up  story  of  the  Renards  and  Aile 
Rouges  or  Red  Wings,  to  get  us  away  from 
this,  perhaps  to  destroy  the  place,  or  else  to  get 
us,  as  they  suppose,  into  their  power  below  this, 
and,  as  in  such  a  case  we  would  not  suspect 
them,  to  get  us  into  a  council,  and  then  do  our 
business.  Be  this  as  it  may,  I  treat  the  couriers 
well,  and  do  not  give  the  smallest  idea  that  I 
doubt  the  truth  of  their  report.  On  the  contrary, 
I  will  encourage  them  to  be  on  the  lookout,  etc. 
If  there  is  any  truth  in  their  assertions,  we  shall 
know  it  in  the  course  of  three  or  four  days  by 
Lieut.  CTraham.  The  enemy  will  not  reach  this 
point,  if  the  report  is  true,  before  twenty  days. 

Sunday,  August  21st. — Answer  to  the  young 
Renards  that  brought  the  pipe,  and  news  of  the 
approach  of  the  Americans:  "You  will  tell  tlie 
Sauks,  that  I  thank  them  for  having  sent  a  pipe 
as  a  token  of  the  certainty  of  the  enemy's  ap- 
proach. I  also  thank  you  for  having  been  so 
expeditious  in  bringing  the  news  here.  You 
will  tell  the  Sauks  thatmy  orders  will  not  admit 
of  my  leaving  this  place  for  the  present,  having 
been  left  here  to  defend  the  post.  At  any  rate, 
knowing  that  there  are  a  number  of  bad  Indians 
both  above  and  below  me,  I  fear  were  they  to 
find  that  1  had  left  the  village  unguarded,  they 
might  come  and  insult  and  destroy  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  place." 

I  was  careful  to  prevent  their  learning  that 
we  had  only  one  half  barrel  of  tiour  on  hand. 
As  to  ammunition  and  guns,  I  sent  word  to  the 


Sauks,  that  they  well  knew  I  had  none  to  spare, 
having  on  hand  only  what  would  be  necessary 
for  twenty  days  in  case  of  an  attack, — this  was 
designed,  in  case  the  Sauks  should  give  infor- 
mation to  the  enemy,  to  make  them  believe  that 
we  are  not  short  of  supplies.  The  Sauks,  Ren- 
ards, etc.,  ought  to  be  well  supplied,  having  got, 
previous  to  Col.  McKay's  leaving  here,  twenty 
kegs  of  gunpowder,  and  having  taken  a  number 
of  guns  from  the  enemy,  they  are  well  enabled 
to  stand  a  strong  attack. 

I  advised  the  Indians  below  "to  keep  a  good 
look  out,  and  not  allow  tlicmselves  to  be  sur- 
prised, and  in  case  the  Americans  should  come 
on  horseback,  as  you  say,  try  and  decoy  them 
into  the  bush,  and  surround  them.  Men  on 
horseback,  in  a  thick  bush,  cannot  do  much; 
and  in  case  they  get  past  your  village  in 
barges,  follow  them  up  here,  with  a  party  on 
each  side  of  the  river,  and  annoy  them  if  they 
debark  to  camp,  to  get  wood,  or  otherwise  ;  and 
by  the  time  they  reach  here,  I  will  have  a  strong 
re-inforceraent  of  Indians.  Before  they  can 
reach  here,  the  re-inforcement  will  perhaps  be 
out  from  Mackinaw,  when  you,  our  Sauk  friends, 
will  be  all  well  sup[ilied  with  ammunition  and 
everything  else. 

"  I  am  very  sorry  I  cannot  take  upon  myself 
to  furnish  the  Sauks  with  any  more  ammuni- 
tion ;  but  let  them  t.ake  courage,  and  act  as 
bravely  as  they  did  when  they  drove  back  the 
American  gun-boats,  and  they  may  depend  upon 
amjile  support,  perhaps  more  than  they  can  pos- 
sibly expect,  when  the  re-inforcement  comes  out. 
When  Black  Hawk  and  the  Sauk  chiefs  send 
expresses  in  the  future,  send  people  that  can 
give  the  particulars  of  anything  that  is  going 
on,  and  not  young  men  that  can  give  no  infor- 
mation at  all.  The  young  men  that  b]-ouglit  me 
the  pipe  could  neither  tell  me  where  the  enemy 
were  seen,  their  number  of  boats,  nor  anything 
more  than  merely  they  were  coming.  The  pipe, 
you  say,  the  Sauks  sent  to  be  left  with  me.  I 
will  keep  it  as  a  token  of  their  good  intentions, 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


159 


and    will    deliver   it   to   their  father,  the  Red 
Head,*  as  soon  as  he  arrives." 

At  1-2,  the  Sauk  chief,  Thomas,  arrived. 
Two  canoes  having  left  the  village  previous  to 
the  arrival  of  this  news  there,  he  could  give  nie 
no  further  assurance.  He  met  Lieut.  Graham 
within  a  few  miles  of  the  Rock  river,  and  says 
he  will  be  back  here  to-morrow  or  next  day. 

Monday,  August  2-2d. —  At  6  in  the  morning, 
it  began  to  rain  hard,  and  thundered  a  good 
deal.  Rainy  weather  all  day.  At  8  in  the 
evening  a  Sioux  canoe  arrived  with  one  man 
and  three  women  ;  nothing  new.  Issued  thirty- 
seven  pairs  Indian  shoes  to  the  volunteers,  and 
drilled  the  people. 

Tuesday,  August  23d. — Got  a  number  of  men 
threshing  wheat.  At  7  in  the  evening,  Lieut. 
Graham  arrived  bringing  Indian  news,  that  the 
Americans  were  coming  up.  Nothing  certain 
as  to  their  force,  or  where  they  were  seen.  On 
the  201  li,  while  Lieut.  Graham  was  preparing 
to  proceed  from  Rock  river  to  go  and  destroy 
the  gun-boat  (the  Sauks  having  refused  to  go 
and  assist  in  getting  her  up),  two  young  men 
arrived  express  from  the  Sauks  on  the  Missouri, 
reporting  that  white  people  from  the  Illinois, 
tliey  do  not  know  who,  sent  word  to  the  Sauks 
on  the  Missouri  to  inform  those  on  the  Rock 
river  to  be  on  their  guard,  as  the  Americans 
were  to  leave  the  Illinois  on  the  4th  inst.,  in  a 
strong  detachment,  to  cut  off  the  Sauks.  No 
other  certain  news  of  their  approach. 

Wednesday,  August  24th. — Having  delilier 
ated  on  the  news  Lieut.  Graham  brought  from 
the  Sauks,,  and  taking  into  consideration  the 
promises  made  Indians  in  general  by  the  Govern- 
ment, through  Robert  Dickson,  and  Col.  McKay 
previous  to  his  leaving  here,  of  giving  them 
every  assistance,  and  supporting  them  agsinst 
the  invading  enemy,  I  think  it  my  duty  to  send 
an  expedition  to  the  Sauks  for  that  purpose,  in 
order  to  convince  them  that  promises  made  by 


•Col.  KiilKTt  Dickson.  The  Indians  called  him  the  R«f- 
Htiirftl  M  tn.  The  Ainorioan  Indians  wore  accustomed  in  af- 
tri-  years,  when  (iov.  Win.  Clark,  of  Missouri,  liccanic  the 
Siipcrinuridenlof  Indi:ui  Affairs  in  the  northwest,  of  desig- 
nating- him  as  lieA  Head,  as  ho  had  sandv  hair. 


British  officers  are  inviolable,  and  will  be  ful- 
tilled,  even  under  the  most  inconvenient  circum- 
stances. I,  therefore,  ordered  that  an  expedi- 
tion to  the  Rock  river  would  be  in  readiness  to 
march  on  the  27th  inst.  The  forces  are  men- 
tioned in  the  orders  of  the  24  th.  I  also  ordered 
that  Mr.  Renville  leave  here  early  to-morrow 
morning  for  the  Sioux,  that  is  the  friendly  band, 
to  ask  their  chief,  with  as  many  as  he  can  spare 
of  his  young  men,  to  go  on  the  same  expedition, 
and  at  the  same  time  to  tell  the  Feuille  or  Leaf, 
to  send  word  to  the  Little  Corbeau  to  proceed 
with  all  the  warriors  of  the  lake,*  and  when 
they  get  to  the  Prairie  La  Crosse,  to  wait  there 
till  they  send  me  word,  and  get  further  orders 
what  to  do.  Lieut.  Graham  brought  intelligence 
that  the  Sauks  were  all  assembling  at  the  Rapids 
of  Rock  river,  and  had  sent  word  to  the  Puants, 
etc.,  and  tliat  lie  believed  that  before  our  ex])edi- 
tion  reaches  them,  there  will  be  about  1,200 
warriors  assembled  there.  They  promised  they 
would  fight  to  the  last  man,  and  sent  me  word 
that  their  fields  of  corn  were  open  to  the  troops 
that  I  might  send,  as  well  as  to  all  Indians  going 
to  their  aid. 

Thursday,  August  25th. — The  guns  are  in  a 
fair  way  ;  the  brass  three-pounder  finished  at 
3  in  the  afternoon.  A  Renard  canoe  ar- 
rived from  above.  There  are  eight  men,  with 
Le  Jeune  Homme  chief.  They  arrived  very 
much  dejected,  and  were  ashamed  to  hold  up 
their  heads.  They  did  not  offer  to  speak  to  me. 
The  commissary  got  in  500  weight  of  flour. 

Friday,  August  26th. — At  10  the  .fcune 
Homme  assembled  his  young  men,  and  asked 
to  speak  with  me.  I  went  and  found  them  in 
Boilvin's  house.  They  had  a  j)ipo  of  j)eace,  an 
otter  sack,  and  a  painted  elk  skin,  with  a  few 
pieces  of  dried  meat  to  give  me.  When  he 
arose  to  speak,  he  offered  ine  his  hand  ;  but  I 
refused  to  give  him  mine.  He  then  began  a 
discourse  that  had  no  sense  in  it.  His  princi- 
pal strain  was,  that  he  had  always  wished  to 
follow  his  father,  the   Red  Head's  advice  ;    but 


♦Probabls-  Lake  St.  Croix. 


160 


HISTORY 'OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


the  Americans  had  turned  his  head,  and  be  had 
behaved  ill.  And  was  sorry  for  it.  In  enter- 
ing into  the  room,  I,  knoA'ing  he  had  a  British 
silk  flag,  and  had  not  hoisted  it  when  he  arrived 
here,  told  him,  before  he  spoke  a  word,  to  show 
me  his  flag,  for  I  feared  he  had  given  it  to  his 
friends,  the  Americans.  He  sent  and  had  it 
brought.  I  would  have  taken  it  from  him,  but 
fearing  it  might  be  improper,  he  having  re- 
ceived it  from  the  superintendent.  On  that 
account  I  said  nothing  about  it. 

When  he  had  finished  his  speech,  his  war 
chief  got  up  with  the  pipe  in  his  hand,  and 
said  :  "I  made  use  of  all  the  sense  the  mother 
of  life  gave  me,  in  order  to  induce  you  to  smoke 
my  pipe  ;  if  I  have  done  wrong,  it  is  because  I 
have  been  advised  to  it  by  my  chief ;"  and 
having  concluded  his  remarks,  and  about  to 
light  the  pipe,  I  told  him  to  save  himself  the 
trouble,  as  I  would  not  smoke  with  them.  He 
laid  down  the  pipe,  etc.,  at  my  feet. 

I  then  replied  to  them  thus  :  "You  ought 
not  to  be  surprised  that  I  treat  you  in  this  way. 
You  are  of  an  age  not  to  be  foolish.  You  ought 
to  have  sense.  I  cannot,  therefore,  attribute 
your  bad  conduct,  to  us,  to  have  risen  from  a 
want  of  knowing  better.  But  I  attribute  it  to 
a  real  inclination  of  wishing  to  be  American 
subjects.  If  you  were  ashamed  to  expose  your 
English  flag  to  view,  why  did  you  not  act  as 
men,  and  arrive  here  with  your  American  fa- 
ther's mark  of  distinction?  The  time  is  over  for 
British  ofiicers  to  flatter,  beg  and  pray  of  the 
Indians  to  follow  the  good  road.  Your  father 
the  Red  Head,  is  tired  of  using  these  means  to 
Indians  that  come  crying  to  him,  when  he  is 
here,  to  get  a  blanket  to  cover  themselves,  or  a 
charge  of  powder  to  kill  wherewith  to  eat ;  and 
then  as  soon  as  his  back  is  turned,  to  raise 
their  war  club  over  our  heads,  and  ask,  with 
flattering  stories,  the  same  assistance  from  the 
enemy.  None  but  dogs  can  be  guilty  of  such 
conduct. 

"  The  time  is  drawing  near  when  the  sun 
will  be  eternally  hid  fi'om  the  bad  Indians,  and 


will  be  three  times  larger  than  now  for  good 
ones.  Let  every  one  who  wishes  well  to  his 
women  and  children,  lose  no  time  in  showing 
his  true  colors ;  for  I  think  when  the  great 
chief,  the  Red  Head  arrives,  his  good  children 
will  appear  bold  and  walk  in  good  spirits,  with 
their  heads  up.  But  the  bad  Indians  will  be 
like  dogs  almost  starved  to  death.  Everything 
that  you  have  said,  and  my  answer,  I  have 
marked  on  this  piece  of  paper  (holding  up  a 
sheet  of  paper),  and  will  keep  it  till  the  great 
chief,  the  Red  Head,  arrives,  and  show  it  to 
him,  that  he  may  know  our  discourse.  Your 
pipe  and  sack  you  will  keep,  and  when  he  ar- 
rives, as  he  has  the  command  of  all  the  Indians, 
he  will  do  as  he  pleases  ;  but  as  for  me,  I  can- 
not make  peace  with  the  Americans." 

Never  were  Indians,  perhaps,  more  dejected, 
and  perhaps  none  ever  so  sincerely  regretted 
their  past  folly.  The  Jeune  Homme  was  the 
man  that,  when  they  got  word  of  the  Ameri- 
cans coming  here  last  spring,  got  J.  M.  Cardinal, 
.■xn  inhabitant  of  this  place,  to  write  the  Ameri- 
cans the  situation  of  the  country,  and  sent  some 
of  his  young  men  with  it  to  the  enemy,  and 
afterwards  oft'ered  his  services  to  go  to  war 
against  us,  and  was  instrun'ental  in  delivering 
up,  with  the  Aile  Rouge,  or  Red  Wing,  this 
place  to  the  enemy.  I  conceived  it  my  duty  to 
talk  to  them  in  this  strain,  to  convince  them 
that  the  Uritish  wished  all  the  Indian  Nations 
well,  and  would  support  them  as  long  as  they 
followed  their  good  advice  ;  but,  at  the  same 
time,  put  them*!a.t  defiance,  and  despised  any 
threats  from  those  that  chose  to  join,  the  Amer- 
icans. 

Fort  McKay,  Aug.  26,  1814. 
To  LiE0T.  Gbaham. — 

Sir: — The  expedition  for  the  Rock  river 
under  your  command,  being  now  in  readiness, 
you  will  march  to-morrow  morning  at  8 
o'clock,  and  proceed  with  all  haste  to  your  place 
of  destination.  On  your  arrival  there,  you  will 
assemble  the  Indians,  and  explain  to  them  that 
the  intention  of  the   expedition   is   to   support 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


ler 


them  in  defending  their  lands,  and  women  and 
children,  according  to  promises  made  to  them 
by  their  father,  Robert  Dickson,  and  Lieut. 
C'oi.  McKay;  and  tliat  in  case  of  any  attack, 
they  must  su2)pon  and  defend  tiie  guns  as  long 
as  they  have  a  man  standing.  That  they  must 
not  amuse  themselves,  during  the  action,  in 
taking  scalps.  They  must  destroy  the  enemy 
as  much  as  possible,  except  prisoners.  Those 
they  will  treat  well,  and  not,  as  is  generally  the 
case,  use  them  barbarously;  but  on  the  con- 
trary, if  they  use  them  as  we  always  do  our 
prisoners,  and  bring  them  here,  they  shall  be 
well  recompensed  for  it.  You  will,  in  case  of 
being  successful,  and  should  be  fortunate  in 
making  prisoners,  use  every  means  in  prevent- 
ing their  being  insulted,  or  ill-used  by  the  Indi- 
ans; and  by  all  means  act  in  every  way  towards 
them  as  becoming  a  British  officer.  You  will 
not  proceed  below  the  Rock  river  until  you 
find  it  necessary  to  take  advantage  of  a  com- 
manding situation.  If  the  enemy  do  not  reach 
Rock  river  in  six  days  after  your  arrival  there, 
you  will  decamp  and  return  here,  unless  you  get 
information  of  their  being  at  hand.  But  in 
case  you  find  the  enemy's  forces  to  be  absolute- 
Ij'  too  strong  to  risk  an  engagement,  you  will 
retreat  here  with  all  possible  haste,  leaving  the 
Indiana  and  a  few  of  your  men  to  follow  up 
the  enemy,  and  annoy  them  as  much  as  possible 
until  they  reach  here.  Having  full  confidence 
in  you,  and  the  troops  under  your  command,  I 
trust  to  your  judgment  to  arrange  all  necessary 
matters  as  occasion  may  require,  and  trusting 
to  a  deliberate  and  prudent  conduct  in  you,  I 
wish  you  a  successful  and  safe  return. 
I  am,  sir,  etc., 

Tiios.  G.  Anderson, 

Capt.  Comd'g. 
Saturday,  August  27th. — At  8,  the  expedi- 
tion for  the  Rock  river,  marched.  We  gave 
them  three  shots  from  the  six  pounder.  At 
2,  the  i'"euille,  or  Leaf,  with  fifty  Sioux,  arrived, 
on  their  way  to  join  the  expedition.  Shortly 
after,  forty  Renards  arrived    for  the  same  pur- 


pose. I  gave  them  fifteen  loaves  of  bread,  and 
sent  to  procure  a  beef  that  I  knew  was  for 
sale,  but  the  owner  sent  me  word  if  I  would 
send  him  two  milch  cows,  I  might  get  his  ox. 
I  then  inquired  of  Mr.  Brisbois,  from  whom  I 
have  had  every  assistance  he  could  possibly 
give,  even  to  the  distressing  of  his  own  family. 
He  furnished  a  pair  of  two  year  old  bulls,  which 
I  gave  to  the  whole  of  the  warriors.  The 
Feuille  brought  word  that  he  iiad  met  a  Ren- 
ard  canoe  with  two  men  in  it,  who  informed 
him,  that  a  Renard  messenger  was  sent  from 
the  Illinois  by  the  Americans,  with  a  notice  to 
the  Indians,  that  they,  the  Americans,  were  on 
their  way  up  here  mainly  to  lake  possession  of 
their  fort  [at  Prairie  du  Chien],  and  not  to  hurt 
the  Indians.  That  they,  the  Indians,  were 
requested  to  keep  out  of  the  way.  That  the 
Americans,  like  hunters  in  the  wood,  had 
wounded  a  deer  ;  they  had  wounded  the  Eng- 
lish, and  were  following  the  track  till  ihey 
should  ruin  or  destroy  the  whole.  The  Feuille 
heard  this  report  too  late  to  authorize  him  to 
take  the  Renard.  The  Feuille  does  not  under- 
stand the  Renard  language  himself,  but  this  was 
interpreted  to  him  some  time  after  passing  the 
Renard  canoe. 

Sunday,  August  28th. — Gave  the  Feuille  ten 
bushels  of  wheat  to  take  him,  with  the  Renards, 
to  the  Rock  river.  A  young  lad  of  this  place, 
by  the  name  of  Antoine  Du  liois,  volunteered 
his  service,  and  embarked  with  the  Sioux  inter- 
preter. I  gave  the  Feuille  a  few  articles  he 
was  absolutely  in  want  of.  Fifty  Sioux,  of  the 
Feuille  band,  with  forty-five  Renards,  left  this 
place  at  2  o'clock  singing  the  war  song;  and  at 
6,  about  sixteen  Puants  arrived  from  above,  de- 
barked at  the  upper  end  of  the  village,  and 
walked  down  to  the  lower  end,  singing  the  war- 
song,  then  immediately  embarked  and  went  off. 
Wrote  a  note  to  Cajit.  Grignon  to  prepare  him- 
self to  go  off  express  to  Mackinaw  to-morrow 
at  10  o'clock. 

Monday,  August  29th. — Finished  the  dis- 
patches at  10,  and  Capt.  Grignon  being  detained 


162 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


in  expectation  of  Mr.  Antoine  Brisbois  arriving 
from  below,  did  not  set  off  till  i  in  the  after- 
noon.    Mr.  Brisbois  did  not  arrive. 

Praieie  du  Chien,  Foet  McKay, 

Aug.  29,  1814. 
To  Lieut.  Col.  MoDouall. — 

Sie: — The  command  of  this  post  having  been 
left  to  me  by  Lieut.  Col.  McKay,  I  have  the 
honor  to  communicate  to  )  ou,  that  on  the  2'i'th 
inst.,  I  sent  off  a  small  detachment  under  the 
command  of  Lieut.  Graham,  of  the  Indian 
department,  for  the  Rock  river,  consisting  of 
thirty  men,  one  brass  three-pounder,  and  two 
swivels.  Having  sent  Lieut.  Graham  to  that 
place  on  the  loth  inst.,  in  order  to  get  a  party 
of  Sauks  to  proceed  with  him  to  within  two 
miles  of  the  enemy's  abandoned  Fort  Madison, 
to  take  possession  of,  and,  if  possible,  bring 
away  a  gun-boat  that  the  enemy  had  got  sunk, 
by  the  fall  of  a  tree,  last  spring,  on  their  way 
up  here;  and,  at  the  same  time,  to  get  informa- 
tion of  the  enemy. 

But  the  Sauks,  having  got  repeated  informa- 
tion, by  scouting  parties,  that  the  Americans 
were  on  the  point  of  leaving  St  Louis  for  this 
place,  they  were  afraid,  and  would  not  go. 
Lieut.  Graham,  therefore,  determined  to  pro- 
ceed, with  his  small  party  of  volunteers,  to  burn 
the  gun-boat,  in  order  to  prevent  its  falling  into 
the  enemy's  hands.  As  he  was  on  the  point  of 
embarking  for  that  purpose,  two  young  Sauks 
arrived  from  the  Sauks  on  the  Missouri  (wheie 
there  are  still  ten  lodges — say  100  men)  express, 
with  news  that  a  courier  had  been  sent  by  some 
French  gentlemen,  from  St.  Louis,  to  the  Sauks 
on  the  Missouri,  to  notify  them  that  a  strong 
detachment  of  the  enemy  was  to  march  from 
St.  Louis  on  or  about  the  12th  inst.,  to  cut  off 
the  Indians  at  Rock  river. 

The  courier  from  St.  Louis  was  sent  to  the 
Indians  on  the  Missouri,  that  they  might  imme- 
diately give  information  to  those  on  Rock  river 
to  be  on  their  guard.  Lieut.  Graham,  believing 
this  report  to  be  true,  returned  here  on  the  23d 


inst.,  but  previous  to  his  return,  exclusive  of 
circulating  reports,  the  Indians  at  the  Rock 
river  sent  word  to  me, and  to  the  Indians  above 
this,  through  the  medium  of  a  pipe,  to  inform, 
me  of  the  enemy's  being  on  their  way  here 
and  begged  that  I  would  send  them  some  ammu- 
nition, with  one  or  two  guns  and  a  few  soldiers, 
to  assist  them  in  defending  their  lands,  women 
and  children. 

On  Lieut.  Graham's  arrival,  I  called  together 
all  the  officers  to  have  their  opinions  on  the 
subject,  and  they  universally  agreed  that  it  was 
absolutely  necessary  to  send  a  small  detachment, 
not  only  for  the  preservation  of  the  post,  but  to 
retain  the  Indians  in  our  favor.  This  small  de- 
tachment, together  with  the  aid  they  get  from 
the  Feuille  with  forty  of  his  young  men,  will 
greatly  encourage  the  Indians  on  the  lower 
Mississippi,  and  preventtheir  joining  the  enemy 
which  necessity  might  otherwise  compell  them 
to  do. 

The  Sauks,  Renards  and  Kiekapoos  that  were 
about  the  entrance  of  Rock  river  when  Lieut. 
Graham  was  there,  formed  about  800  men, 
though,  with  the  re-inforcements  that  will  join 
them  by  the  time  the  detachments  from  this 
reaches  them,  I  am  well  persuaded  will  reach  from 
1,200  to  1,500  men.  Upwards  of  100  men,  Sioux, 
Puants  and  Renards,  from  above  this,  passed 
here  yesterday  on  their  way  to  join  the  detach- 
ment. Ammunition,  arms  and  tobacco  are  the 
principal  articles  the  Indians  are  really  in  dis- 
tress for. 

I  beg  leave  to  remark  that  the  critical  situa- 
tion of  the  country  here  at  present  absolutely 
requires  that  Robert  Dickson  should  be  here 
with  the  re-inforcements  of  troops  asked  for  by 
Lieut.  Col.  McKay.  The  volunteer  privates 
from  Mackinaw  and  the  b.ay,  though  willing  to 
serve  their  country,  are  becoming  weary  of 
garrison  duty,  and  as  the  time  for  which  they 
volunteered  their  services  having  expired, 
they  hope  to  be   soon  relieved.     I  send   Capt. 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


163 


Grignon,  of   the  bay  express,  with  this   commu- 
nication     I  have  the  honor  to  he,  etc., 

Tho.s.  G.  Anderson, 

Capt.  Commanding. 

Tuesday,  August  .30th — At  12  o'clock  the 
Bourgue,  a  Puant  chief,  arrived,  and  rejtorts 
that  he  licard  tliat  Robert  Dickson  had  left 
Mackinaw  some  time  since  for  this  post. 

Wednesday,  August  3)st — Requested  of  Mr. 
Brisbois  to  rejiair  Mr.  Fisher's  store,  a  con- 
venient place  to  put  part  of  the  public  goods. 
The  Feuille  having  assured  me  that  he  had  sent 
off  two  young  men  from  his  village  to  inform 
tlie  Little  Corbeau,  I  did  not  send  an  interjjret- 
er,  as  ordered  on  the  2Sth  inst.  The  Feuille 
gave  me  this  information  on  the  29th  inst.,  in 
the  morning. 

Thursday,  Sept.  1st,  ISU— 

To  Mr.  Frenier:  You  will  leave  this  im- 
mediately, with  three  men  in  a  wooden  canoe, 
and  proceed  with  all  haste  up  the  Mississippi 
till  you  fall  in  with  the  Little  Corbeau.  You 
will  tell  him  the  enemy  are  on  their  way  up 
here.  That  Robert  Dickson,  from  Indian  re- 
ports, will  be  here  in  a  very  short  time,  and 
that  it  is  requested  that  the  principal  part  of  his 
band  will  remain  above  this,  not  higher  up  than 
the  Prairie  La  Crosse,  to  hunt,  till  further 
orders. 

Yours,  etc.,        Thomas  G.Anderson, 

Capt.  Commanding. 

Mr.  Frenier  went  off  at  10  o'clock.  Showers 
of  rain  all  day. 

Friday,  September  2d — Two  letters  that 
I  wrote  Lieut.  Graliam  when  he  went  down  to 
the  Rock  river  in  quest  of  the  American  gun- 
boats, having  been  omitted,  are  inserted  as  fol- 
lows: 

Fort  McKav,  Aug.  14,  isu. 
'J'o  Lieut.  Graham: 

Sir — You  will  leave  this  to-morrow  morning 
at  10  o.clock,  with  one  intei'preter  and  six  men, 
in  a  canoe.  You  will  proceed  immediately  to 
tlie  Rock  river,  unless  you  get  certain  news  of 
the  enemy's  approacli.     On   your  arrival  there 


you  will  call  together  the  Sank  chiefs,  soldiers 
and  braves,  and  give  them  a  carrot  of  tobacco, 
as  a  present,  and  a  request  to  them  to  go  with 
you  to  assist  in  obtaining  the  object  of  vour 
voyage,  whicli  is,  to  bring  up  an  American  gun- 
boat that  is  lying  a  short  distance  above  Fort 
]\[adison.  In  case  you  are  successful  in  getting 
the  boat,  you  will  u.-^e  your  endeavors  in  gettino- 
thelndians  to  assist  you  in  bringing  lier  up  here; 
but  if  you  cannot  get  that  assistance,  you  will 
run  her  up  into  the  Rock  river  where  she  will 
be  safe  till  she  can  lie  sent  for  from  Iiere.  If 
your  best  exertions  fail  in  getting  off  the  boat 
you  will  burn  her,  to  prevent  her  falling  into 
the  enemy's  hands. 

In  case  you  get  certain  information  of  the 
enemy's  approach;  or  if  you  find  it  necessary  on 
any  other  occasion  to  send  an  express  here  by 
land,  you  will  order  the  Indians  bearing  it,  to 
show  themselves  on  the  hills  opposite  this 
place.  On  their  arrival,  they  will  halloo 
a  few  shouts,  then  fire  one  gun,  and  shortly  after 
they  will  fire  three  shots.  This  will  be  a  signal  to 
let  me  know  who  they  are.  In  asking  assistance 
from  the  Itidians,  you  will  tell  them  if  they  go 
with  you  and  bidng  up  the  boat,  they  will  be 
amply  recompensed  when  the  re-inforccment 
arrives  from  Mackanaw.  Wishing  you  a  short 
and  successful  passage,  I  am,  sir,  etc., 

Tnos.  G.  Anderson,  Capt.  Com'd'g. 
Fort  McKay,  Aug.  21,  1814. 
Lieut.  Graham: 

Sir — Last  evening  three  Renards  arrived  here 
with  a  pipe,  sent,  they  say,  by  the  Sauks,  to  tell 
me  tlie  Americans  were  on  their  way  uj)  here; 
but  the  express  could  [not]  tell  me  what  num- 
l)er  of  barges  were  coming,  nor  whore  they 
wore  seen.  I  will  thank  you  to  make  particular 
inquiry  of  the  Sauks,  where  the  pijie  came  from; 
anil  tell  them  if  they  send  in  future,  to  send 
peo])lethat  can  be  depended  upon  to  give  every 
information.  They  asked  for  ten  kegs  of  gun- 
powder, and  guns — two  articles  tliat  tliey  are 
already  well  supplied  with.  I,  therefore  gave 
them  none. 


164 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


Get  certain  and  particular  information  before 
you  send  or  return.  You  will  tell  the  Indians, 
in  case  the  enemy  are  coming  up,  to  follow  them 
by  land,  on  each  side  of  the  Mississippi,  and  an- 
noy them  as  much  as  possible;  at  the  same  time 
not  to  waste  their  ammunition  in  firing  random 
shots.  They  requested  me  to  go  down  and 
meet  the  enemy  at  the  Rock  river.  This  being 
impossible,  for  several  reasons,  I  refused  them 
positively.  If  you  cannot  get  the  gun-boat,  use 
every  means  to  destroy  it.     Yours,  etc., 

Thos.  G.  Anderson,  Capt.  Cora'd'g. 

At  4  A.  M.,  a  Puant  arrived  with  Francois  La 
Poiiite's  horse,  that  had  been  stolen  by  the 
Puaiils. 

Saturday,  Sept.  3d. — A  cool  pleasant  morn- 
ing,'but  foggy. 
To  LiEDT.  Graham: 

Sib: — You  will  receive  by  interpreter  Grig- 
noii,  52')  pound.s  of  flour,  all  that  I  can  possibly 
muster.  Indian  report  says,  that  Robert  Dick- 
son left  Mackinaw  a  long  time  ago  for  this 
place.  I  have  been  waiting  now  three  days,  in 
hopes  of  certain  information  on  that  head,  to 
no  purpose.  If  you  think  it  necessary,  you  can 
remain  a  few  days  longer  than  the  term  men- 
tioned in  your  instructions  of  the  i2iith  ult.  I 
am  very  anxious  to  hear  from  you.  I  refer  you 
to  Mr.  Grignon  for  further  particulars.  In 
hopes  shortly  to  receive  flattering  news  from 
you,  I  am,  sir,  etc., 

Thos.  G.  Anderson,   Capt.  Comd'g. 

Sunday,  Sept.  4th. — At  10  the  militia  assem- 
bled as  usual.  I  thanked  the  inhabitants  of  St. 
Friole,  by  way  of  encouraging  them,  for  having 
furnished  what  little  flour  they  had  done. 
Having  heard  a  rumor  that  the  volunteers  were 
about  to  take  their  discharge  when  on  parade, 
I  represented  to  them  the  disgrace  that  would 
attend  such  a  step,  etc.  They  made  no  reply, 
and  continued  their  duty  for  the  present.  At 
3  A.  M.  two  Renard  canoes  arrived,  with  six 
men  and  several  women  and  children.  By  way 
of  getting  provisions  and  ammunition,  they  fab- 
ricated a  story  that  the  detachment  gone  below 


had  surrendered  to  the  Americans.  Knowing 
this  to  be  a  base  falsehood,  I  abused  the  cow- 
ardly villains,  as  they  deserved,  and  gave  them 
nothing.  This  afternoon  a  canoe  of  Renards 
from  above  was  seen  by  old  La  Pointe,  to 
go  down  the  river  behind  the  island.  He  did 
not   give  me   notice  till   late    in    the    evening. 

Monday,  Sept.  5th. — ^The  Renards  that  ar- 
rived yesterday,  went  off  above. 

Tuesday,  Sept  6th. — Finding  that  one  Fon- 
taine had  a  mare  and  a  young  colt  here,  and 
that  he  had  been  in  the  Illinois  three  years,  I 
ordered  the  mare  to  be  taken  (the  colt  being 
only  this  spring's)  and  broke  in  for  the  King's 
service. 

Wednesday,  Sept.  7th. — At  4  o'clock  four 
Sauks,  old  men  arrived  from  the  Rock  river, 
bringing  the  following  communications  from 
Lieut.  Graham: 

Rock  River,  Sept.  3,  1814. 
Capt.  Thos.  G.  Anderson: 

Sir. — Agreeably  to  your  orders  of  the  26th  of 
last  month,  I  proceeded  with  all  expedition  for 
this  place,  which  I  reached  on  the  29th  of  the 
same  month.  Although  there  is  no  apparent 
danger,  our  coming  here  has  given  more  satis- 
faction to  the  Sauks  than  if  all  the  goods  in  the 
King's  store  in  Mackinaw  had  been  sent  them,  as 
they  are  now  firmly  convinced  that  their  English 
Father  is  determined  to  support  them  against 
the  ambition  and  unjust  conduct  of  their  ene- 
mies. I  made  known  to  them  the  intention  of 
the  expedition,  to  which  they  answered  that,  if 
we  should  come  to  action,  they  would  stand 
by  us  to  the  last  man.  One  hundred  and 
twenty-two  men,  Sioux,  Rena-'ds  and  Puants,  ar- 
rived here  the  day  before  yesterday.  The  whole 
of  the  Indians  appear  to  be  much  animated  to 
meet  the  enemy,  and  I  think  with  wliat  force 
we  have  to  be  able  to  re}pulse  any  party  that 
the  enemy  will  be  able  to  send  this  way. 

I  have  not  l)een  able  to  obtain  aiij'  satisfactory 
information  of  the  enemy  coming  up.  Four 
days  ago,  five  Indians  that  went  down  on  dis- 
covery, returned.     They  were  as  far  as  Cap  au 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


165 


Gris.  They  say  at  that  point  there  is  a  imall 
fort,  which  I  suppose  to  be  Fort  Independence. 
There  was  a  considerable  number  of  men  in  and 
around  it,  with  two  large  gun-boats  at  anchor 
before  it.  Whether  this  force  is  stationed  there 
to  guard  their  frontiers,  or  for  collecting  for  an 
expedition  to  come  this  way,  is  uncertain.  I 
detained  this  letter  three  or  four  days,  waiting 
the  return  of  five  Indians  that  had  been  gone 
about  twelve  days,  in  hopes  to  obtain  from  them 
more  certain  information;  but  finding  their  stay 
too  long,  I  send  oflE  this,  as  I  know  you  are 
impatient  to  hear  from  this  place. 

Eight  Indians  went  off,  three  days  ago,  to 
find  out  what  detained  the  others.  To  them  I 
gave  orders  to  burn  the  boat,  as  I  thought  it 
would  be  impossible  to  send  the  number  of  men 
it  would  require  to  bring  her  up  in  case  of  an  at- 
tack. As  there  is  continually  a  number  of  In- 
dians on  the  look-out,we  cannot  be  surprised  on 
the  least  notice  of  their  coming.  We  shall  take 
our  position  on  the  island,*  which  is  the  best 
place  for  defense  that  I  know  on  the  Missis- 
sippi. I  beg  you  will  pay  attention  to  those 
that  go  up  with  this,  as  we  are  dependent  on 
them  here  for  provisions.  As  soon  as  the  dis- 
covering party  returns,  if  there  is  no  appear- 
ance of  the  enemy  coming  up,  I  shall  of  course 
return.  I  hope  ere  this  you  have  news  from 
Mackinaw. 

Sir,  I  am,  etc., 

(Signed).  DtmCAN  Geaham, 

Lieut.  Indian  Dept. 

(P.  S.)  Having  finished  this  at  10  o'clock  at 
night,  in  the  morning  the  discovering  party  ar- 
rived. They  saw,  yesterday  morning  three 
large  gun-boats  under  sail  on  their  way  up, about 
thirty  leagues  from  here.  It  seems  their  fears 
prevented  them  from  knowing  their  exact  num- 
V)c-r.  Before  this  reaches  you,  we  shall,  I  hope, 
decide  the  business.  As  soon  as  it  is  daylight, 
I  will  send  Lieut.  Brisbois  with  a  canoe  well 
manned,    if   possible    to   know   their  strength. 


Should  we  be  attended  with  success,  you  shall 
soon  hear.  I  expect  them  after  to-morrow. 
Nothing  further  at  present.  The  4th  of  Sep- 
tember about  1  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

(signed)  Duncan  Graham. 

At  five,  a  canoe  arrived  from  the  ahove;three 
Iroquois  from  the  Riviere  des  Sotrax*  having 
left  their  families  on  that  river,  and  came  here 
to  get  some  ammunition,  as  they  were  quite  des- 
titute of  that  article. 

Fort  McKay,  Sept.  7th,  1814. 
To  Lieut.  Graham — 

Sie: — I  received  your  communication  of  the 
3d  and  4th  inst.,  and  from  the  enemy's  ap- 
parent force,  I  hope  ere  this  the  business  is 
decided  in  our  favor.  I  am  much  gratified  to 
have  it  in  my  power  to  give  a  most  flattering 
detail  of  the  good  conduct  of  the  Sauks,  etc.,  to 
Lieut.  Col.  McDouall,  who  I  am  well  persuaded 
will  be  highly  pleased  with  them.  No  news 
from  Mackinaw,  but  houily  expected.  The  ex- 
press for  Mackinaw  left  here  on  the  29th  ult., 
also  an  express  for  the  Sioux  on  the  1st  inst., 
not  yet  returned.  In  case  of  your  being  suc- 
cessful, and  take  any  prisoners,  use  every  effort 
to  preserve  them;  and  if  your  stock  of  provis- 
ions will  admit,  bring  such  prisoners  up  here, 
to  be  sent  on  to  Mackinaw.     I  am,  sir, 

Thos.  G.Anderson, 
Capt.  Commanding. 

N.  B.  You  will  receive  this  by  the  return  of 
the  Sauks  you  sent  up  here,  who  leave  hero  to- 
morrow morning.  T.  G.  A. 

Thursday,  Sept.  Hth. — The  Sauks  tliat  ar- 
rived with  the  communication  from  Lieut. 
Graham,  set  off  with  dispatches  at  8  o'clock  in 
the  morning.  Previous  to  their  setting  out,  I 
gave  them  each  a  blanket,  a  breech-clout,  and  a 
knife,  they  being  four  in  number.  Tlioy  went 
off  highly  pleased. 

Friday,  Sept.  9th — At  3  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon,six  Puant  canoes  arrived  from  the  Ouiscon- 
sin,  with  La  Gruness,  and  the  Old  Wolf.     They 


*Rock  Island,  unque8tionabl.v. 


•Saut  eur  or  Chippewa  River,  doubtless. 


166 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


brought  word  that  a  Folle  Avoine  woman  from 
Mackinaw  bronglit  news  to  the  bay,  that  when 
she  left  the  post,  the  American  fleet  was  in 
sight  of  Mackinaw.  How  long  since,  or  wliat 
was  their  force,  she  knew  nothing  about. 

Saturday,  Sept.  10th — At  1  o'clock  p.  m., 
five  Sioux  arrived  from  the  Rock  river,  bring- 
ing news  that  Lieut.  Graham,  with  the  detach- 
ment under  his  command,  and  the  Indians,  had 
attacked  and  defeated  eight  large  American 
gun-boats  at  the  Rock  river;  had  taken  neither 
prisoners  nor  anything  else.  At  5  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon,  a  young  Sauk,  who  had  set  off  ivom 
the  Rock  river  express  with  two  Sioux  and  a 
Renard,  buthaving  tired  them  out,  arrived  here 
alone  with  dispatches  fi-om  Lieut.  Graham,  as 
follows: 

Rock  River,  Sept.  Vth,  isi4. 
Capf.  Thomas  G.  Anderson — 

Sir: — I  mentioned  to  you  in  my  letter  of  the 
4th  inst.,  by  the  information  I  had  from  the 
Indians,  that  the  enemy  were  within  thirty 
leagues  of  this  place  on  their  way  up.  As  soon 
as  I  found  out  their  strength,  I  concluded  the 
place  of  their  destination  must  be  La  Prairie 
du  Chien.  The  rapids  was  the  only  place  where 
we  could  attack  such  a  force  to  any  advantage. 
On  the  5th  inst.,  we  moved  to  the  westside  of 
the  island,  and  took  our  position  at  the  narrow- 
est part  of  the  channel,  the  only  place  where 
they  could  pass  at  that  point.  We  were  de- 
termined to  dispute  the  road  with  them,  inch 
by  inch. 

They  appeared  in  sight  at  4  o'clock  p.  m.,  with 
a  strong  fair  wind.  There  were  eight  large 
boats,  four  of  which  were  equal  in  size  to  the 
one  that  made  her  escape  from  the  Prairie.  The 
largest  of  them  had  a  white  flag  flying  at  her 
mast  head.  When  they  came  to  the  head  of 
Credit  island,  about  two  miles  from  us,  a  storm 
of  rain,  thunder  and  lightning  came  on,  and  the 
wind  shifted  to  the  opposite  point  of  the  com- 
pass, which  compelled  them  to  pass  the  remain- 
der of  the  day,  and  that  night  there.  All  the 
women  and  children  were  sent  to  the  island  . 


took  all  the  Sioux  with  us  to  cover  the  guns  in 
case  of  being  obliged  to  retreat,  as  they  prom- 
ised they  would  rather  be  killed  to  the  last  man 
than  give  up  the  guns. 

I  told  the  Sauks,  in  case  the  enemy  should 
attempt  to  land  at  their  village,  to  retreat  to  the 
island,  and  then  we  would  return  altogether 
and  attack  them.  The  6th,  at  break  of  day, 
some  of  the  Sauks  came  to  us,  and  requested 
that  we  should  attack  them  immediately,  as  the 
wind  was  against  them,  and  some  of  their  boats 
were  aground.  We  crossed  to  the  main  land  at 
the  Foxes'  village.  There  we  left  our  boats, 
and  went  as  quick  as  possible  through  the  prai- 
rie unpcrceived  by  the  enemy  until  we  were  on 
the  beach  opposite  to  them.  Here  we  had  a 
close  view  of  them.  I  had  no  idea  of  the  enor- 
mous size  of  their  boats  before.  They  lay  with 
their  broad  sides  close  to  a  low  sandy  beach. 
The  largest  of  them  had  six  port-holes  open  on 
the  side  next  to  us.  The  channel  was  about 
600  yards  broad. 

We  were  on  an  elevated  spot,  but  no  covering. 
I  requested  the  Indians  not  to  waste  their  am- 
munition firing  at  the  boats,  and  save  it  in  case 
the  enemy  should  attempt  to  land.  Tiiey  did  so. 
Finding  they  could  not  make  up  matters  with 
the  Sauks,  as  they  had  killed  one  of  their  sen- 
tinels in  the  night,  they  took  down  the  white 
flag,  and  jiut  up  the  bloody  flag  in  its  place, 
which  I  believe  to  be  a  signal  of  no  quarters. 
It  was  then  7  o'clock  in  the  morning.  Every- 
thing being  ready,  we  opened  a  brisk  fire,  from 
the  three-pounder,  and  two  swivels,  on  their 
boats.  In  al)out  three  quarters  of  an  hour  the 
largest  of  their  boats,  which  was  ahead  of  the 
others,  after  having  about  fifteen  shots  through 
her,  began  to  push  off,  and  dropped  astern  of  the 
rest,  and  made  the  best  of  her  way  down  the 
current.  The  others  soon  followed  her.  We 
kept  firing  at  them  along  the  bank,  as  far  as  the 
ground  would  permit  us  to  drag  the  guns  ;  but 
they  soon  got  out  of  our  reach. 

They  went  on  about  a  league,  and  put  to 
shore.     I  thought  they  might  intend  to  throw 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


167 


up  some  breast-works,  and  make  a  stand  at  tliat 
place.  I  sent  immediately  for  the  boats  to  go 
with  all  the  Indiaii.'f,  to  endeavor  to  dislodge 
them  from  there.  By  the  time  we  were  ready 
to  embark,  some  of  the  Indians  that  followed, 
returned  and  informed  us,  that  it  appeared  to 
them  that  the  Americans  had  committed  the 
bodies  of  some  of  their  men  to  a  watery  grave, 
well  knowing  if  they  buried  them  on  shore,  they 
would  be  torn  to  pieces.  They  then  got  up 
their  sails,  the  wind  being  fair,  and  made  the 
best  of  their  way  off.  As  the  enemy  landed  at 
that  place,  the  Indians  say  they  were  about  1 ,000 
men.  I  think  their  number  to  be  between  600 
and  800. 

If  we  had  had  a  larger  supply  of  ammunition 
and  provisions,  we  might  liave  harassed  them  as 
far  as  the  rapi<ls  of  the  liiviere  des  IVIoines  ;  but 
having  only  a  scanty  supply  of  the  one,  and  en- 
tirely destitute  of  the  other,  we  were  obliged  to 
give  lip  pursuing  them  any  further.  Altiiough 
we  have  not  been  able  to  capture  any  of  their 
boats,  they  have  been  completely  repulsed,  and 
I  have  every  reason  to  believe  with  a  consider- 
able loss,  as  out  of  fifty-four  shots  that  we  fired 
at  tlieni,  there  was  only  three  or  four  that  did 
not  go  through  their  boats.  The  action  lasted 
about  an  hour.  One  of  the  swivels  'was  served 
by  Lieut.  Hrisbois,  and  the  other  by  Colin  Camp- 
bell, which  they  executed  with  credit  to  them- 
selves ;  and  all  attached  to  the  expedition  be- 
haved tliemselves  in  a  manner  worthy  of  veteran 
troops,  for  they  seemed  to  vie  with  each  other 
who  would  be  the  foremost,  notwithstanding 
liiey  were  entirely  exposed  to  the  enemy's  shot, 
and  I  am  happy  to  say  that  not  a  man  was  hurt. 
It  is  to  the  skill  and  courage  of  Scrgt.  Keating, 
on  whom  everything  depended,  that  we  owe  our 
success,  and  no  praise  of  mine  can  bestow  on 
him  what  he  deserves.  As  the  Indians  had  no 
communication  with  the  enemy,  I  have  not  been 
able  to  find  out  who  commamled  the  Ameri- 
can expedition.         Sir,  I  am,  etc. 

Duncan  Graham, 
Lieut.  Indian  Dept. 


Sunday,  Sept.  11th. — The  Indians  from  the 
Rock  river  detachment  continued  arriving  in 
small  hands. 

Monday,  Sept.  12th. — The  remainder  of  the 
Sioux,  Puants  and  Renards  arrived  from  the 
detachment  lielow.  At  i  o'clock  a  wooden 
canoe  arrived  from  the  portage,  with  interpret- 
er Besler  and  Lance  Corporal  Haywood,  and 
their  men,  bringing  with  them  one  case  ord- 
nance stores  and  one  keg  of  powder.  The  con- 
ductor of  the  boat  from  Mackinaw,  not  being 
active,  did  not  get  the  boat  over  the  portage, 
therefore  the  ordnance  stores,  etc.,  were  left 
there  till  I  can  send  for  them.  I  received  let- 
ters as  follows: 

MiCHIIXIMACKANAC,  Aug.  21,   1814. 

To  Capt.  Anderson,  or  officer  commanding  Fort 

McKay : 

Sir: — I  have  great  pleasure  in  returning  you 
my  thanks  for  your  judicious  and  spirited  con- 
duct during  operations  which  ended  in  the  cap- 
ture of  Fort  McKay.  I  doubt  not  that  whenever 
another  opportunity  presents,  you  will  again 
distinguish  yourself  by  such  praise  worthy  con- 
duct. I  beg  you  will  take  the  earliest  oppor- 
tunity of  expressing  my  entire  satisfaction  with 
the  good  conduct  and  spirit  evinced  by  all  ranks 
employed  upon  the  expedition  ;  but  in  particular 
to  mention  my  obligations  to  Capts.  Dease  and 
Grignon,  and  Licuts.  D.  Graham  and  Brisbois, 
and  the  interpreters,  St.  Germain,  Renville, 
Honore  and  Grignon,  of  the  Indian  dejiartment. 
I  likewise  request  you  to  return  to  Sergt.  Keai- 
ing,  particularly,  my  thanks  for  the  bravery  and 
good  conduct  which  he  so  conspicuously  dis- 
played, and  also  to  the  detachment  of  the  Mich- 
igan Fencibles  and  to  the  volunteers  and  militia, 
for  their  spirited  and  exemplary  behavior.  Yciii 
will  convey  to  the  garrison  in  general  my  firm 
belief  that  the  fort  which  they  so  gallantly  won, 
they  will  as  gallantly  defend. 

In  the  event  of  Col.  McKay's  having  left  tbe 
fort,  you  will  command  them  until  further 
orders,  making  every  possible  exertion  to 
strengthen  your  post,  and  omitting  no  precau- 


11 


168 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


tion  which  may  be  necessary  for  its  defense.  I 
have  sent  Lance  Corporal  Heywood,  of  the 
10th  Veteran  Battalion,  in  charge  of  some 
ordnance  stores.  He  is  to  remain  witli  you, 
and  be  employed  at  the  artillery,  under  Sergt. 
Keating,  whom  I  have  appointed  ordnance 
store  keeper  at  Fort  McKay. 

You  will  see  the  obvious  necessity  of  culti- 
vating the  best  possible  understanding  with  the 
Indians,  particularly  with  our  allies,  the  Sauks 
and  Renards.  You  will  signify  to  them  how 
highly  I  am  pleased  with  their  conduct,  and 
that  everything  in  my  j^ower  shall  be  done  to 
supply  their  wants.  You  will  signify  to  the 
Leaf  and  Little  Corbeau  my  approbation  of  the 
assistance  which  they  have  afforded,  and  my 
hope  that,  if  another  attack  is  threatened  this 
fall,  that  they  will  bring  down  the  whole  of 
their  warriors  to  your  assistance.  Point  out  to 
them  of  what  consequence  it  is  to  them  to  keep 
the  enemy  at  their  present  distance.  You  may 
assure  them  that  great  efforts  are  making  by 
the  King  in  their  behalf  ;  and  that  the  ministry 
are  determined  to  make  no  peace  till  the  lands 
plundered  from  the  Indians  are  restored.  To 
attain  this  purpose,  great  re-inforcements  of 
troops  are  coming  out. 

As  Lieut.  Grignon,  of  the  Indian  department, 
is  to  reside  for  some  time  at  Green  Bay,  you 
will  communicate  with  me  through  him,  l)y 
every  possible  opportunity,  taking  care  to  ac- 
quaint me  with  every  consequence  that  occurs. 
If  our  post  is  likely  to  be  attacked,  you  will 
also  call  upon  him  to  collect  whatever  Folles 
Avoines,  Winnebagoes  and  militia  from  Green 
Bay  that  he  can,  and  repair  with  tlie  utmost  ex- 
pedition to  your  assistance.  I  am  not  without 
hopes  of  being  able,  by  and  by,  to  send  a  de- 
tachment of  troops  to  re-inforce  your  garrison. 

It  will  be  necessary  that  some  regular  system 
should  be  adopted  for  victualing  the  troops, 
which  Capt.  Rolette  will  undertake.  They 
must  be  supplied  with  game  and  deer,  and 
what  beef  can  be  got.  We  have  not  any  pork 
to  spare,  and,  indeed  the  only  chance  of  our 


being  able  to  keep  a  fort  at  Prairie  du  Chien, 
is  by  the  country  being  able  to  feed  and  sup- 
port that  garrison,  without  making  any  demand 
upon  this  post  for  provisions,  which  is  out  of 
the  question  for  me  to  grant.  Capt.  Dease  and 
yourself  must  make  the  best  arrangements  you 
can  for  supplying  the  troops,  taking  care  that 
the  utmost  regularity  and  correctness  appear 
in  your  accounts  and  disbursements.  Col.  Mc- 
Kay mentions  his  finding  Mr.  Honore,  of  the 
Indian  department,'a  very  useful  commissary, 
and  you  had  better  still  employ  him  in  that 
capacity. 

On  Capt.  Rolette's  return  he  will  take  with 
him  the  proper  form,  according  to  which  your 
monthly  pay-lists  are  to  be  made  out.  On  the 
24th  of  each  month,  the  troops  to  be  regularly 
mustered,  and  the  men  all  present  or  their 
absence  accounted  for.  You  will  always  be 
upon  your  guard,  and  take  the  necessary  pre- 
cautions to  become  acquainted,  through  the 
Sauks,  with  all  the  motions  of  the  enemy  ;  and 
endeavor  to  ascertain,  as  early  as  possible,  if 
they  have  intentions  of  attacking  you,  tliat  you 
may,  in  due  time,  be  prepared  for  a  most  de- 
termined and  vigorous  defense.  With  the  as- 
sistance of  your  Indians,  I  doubt  not  you  will 
be  able  to  repel  any  attempt  of  the  enemy  ;  but 
above  all  things,  be  constantly  in  readiness  for 
it.     I  have  the  honor  to  be,  etc., 

(Signed)  R.  McDouai.l, 

Lieut.  Col.  Commanding. 
Point  au  Ecoece,  Aug.  24,  1814. 
My  Dear  Anderson  : 

As  soon  as  the  boat  arrives,  you  will  send 
down  ten  kegs  of  powder  to  the  Sauks,  etc.  I 
need  not  tell  you  to  put  the  place  in  the  best 
state  of  defence,  and  get  all  the  Indians  from 
above,  etc      Yours,  etc. 

(Signed)         Wm.  McKay,  Lieut.  Col.,  etc. 

Besides  these,  I  received  other  letters  from 
my  friends 

Tuesday,  September  13. — Lieut.  Brisbois  ar 
rived  early  in  the  morning  in  a  canoe,  with  in- 
terpreter Grignon,  and  the  men  that  went  down 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


169 


witli  the  first  supplies  of  provisions.  At  ) '2 
o'clock  the  weather  cleared  up,  having  rained 
successively  two  days  and  nights.  At  halt' past 
six  Lieut.  Graham  arrived  with  the  whole  de- 
tachment under  his  command,  all  well,  after 
having  driven  off  eight  largo  gun-boats,  with 
about  100  men  in  each  of  them.  We  were 
obliged  to  give  a  good  deal  of  bread  and  some 
wheat  to  the  warriors  from  below.  The  Puants 
drove  off  and  killed  one  of  Capt.  Rolette's 
oxen.  Notwithstanding  liis  men  saw  them 
drive  the  ox  away,  they  neither  attempted  to 
re.scue  him  out  of  their  hands,  nor  come  and 
give  information,  in  order  to  get  assistance 
from  me. 

Wednesda3%  September  14.-:— Began  to  write 
dispatches  to  Mackinaw.  Finished  at  5  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon.  To  Lieut.  Col.  McDouall,  as 
follows  : 

Praikie  du  Chikn,  Fort  McKay, 
Sept.  14,  1814. 

Sir — -I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the 
receipt  of  your  obliging  favor  of  the  21st  ult., 
which  I  received  on  the  12th  inst.,  in  the 
evening,  with  one  case  of  fixed  shot  and  one 
keg  of  powder,  the  conductor  of  the  boat,  not, 
as  he  says,  having  been  able  to  drag  the  boat 
across  the  portage.  I  sent  off  a  boat  this 
afternoon  to  bring  away  the  ammunition,  and 
the  one  from  Mackinaw  will  return  immedi- 
ately from  there  to  Green  Bay  with  these  dis- 
patches, directed  to  Lieut.  Grigtion,  for  him  to 
forward. 

I  have  the  honor  most  graciously  to  thank 
you  for  myself,  and  in  the  name  of  all  the 
tr.iops,  etc., attached  to  this  garrison, for  your  con- 
<li'scending  approbation  of  their  conduct  in  the 
late  engagement  at  this  place,  under  our  un- 
<launted  and  able  commander,  Lieut.  Col.  Mc- 
Kay, to  whose  judicious  management  the  inhab- 
itants of  this  place,  and  the  Indian  tribes  on  the 
Mississippi,  acknowledge  a  happy  and  easy  de- 
liverance from  an  enemy  that  absolute  necessity 
obliged  them  for  a  moment  to  countenance.  I 
beg   you   may   l)e    assured  every  particular  of 


your  orders  shall  be  strictly  attended  to,  and 
put  in  execution  without  delay.  I  am  happy  in 
having  your  a|)probation  of  Capt.  Deasc's  able 
assistance  to  act  in  conjunction  with  rae.  I  shall 
only  take  the  liberty  to  remark,  the  only  change 
that  can  at  present  be  made  about  tht;  garrison,  is 
to  put  in  comfortable  quarters  in  which  to  lodge 
the  troops;  and  as  for  provisions,  in  my  opinion, 
the  cheapest  and  most  convenient  means  would 
be  to  send  a  detachment  from  here  taking  the 
Sauks,etc.,  on  their  way,  and  bring  from  some  dis. 
tauce  above  St.  Louis,  a  drove  of  cattle,  where 
the  Indians  report  that  there  are  vast  droves 
running  wild  about  American  abandoned  settle- 
ments. In  this  case,  and  even  in  the  event  of 
depending  upon  the  Indians,  a  quantity  of  salt 
would  be  necessary. 

Lieut  Graham  having  arrived  last  evening 
with  the  detachment  from  Rock  river.  I  have 
the  honor  to  communicate  to  you,  that  on  leav- 
ing here  the  27th  ult.,  they  made  the  best  of 
their  way,  and  arrived  at  the  Rock  river  on  the 
29th;  and  soon  got  certain  information  that  the 
enemy  were  near  .at  hand,  but  could  not  know 
their  strength  till  eight  large  gun-boats  hove  in 
sight  on  the  5th  inst.,  at  4  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon.  The  foremost  being  the  largest,  and 
a  finely  painted  boat,  was  supposed  to  be  the 
commanding  officer's.  She  had  a  white  flag 
hoisted  at  her  mast-head.  This  was  supposed 
to  be  with  an  intent  either  to  deceive  the  In- 
dians, or  to  use  every  means  to  gain  them-  over 
to  their  side.  Our  people  kept  themselves  con- 
cealed, expecting  the  enemy  would  attempt  to 
ascend  the  rapids,  when  they  would  have  had  a 
fair  opportunity  to  capture  the  whole.  The 
enemy  had  no  communication  with  the  Indi:ins, 
but  lay  quietly  at  anchor. 

In  the  course  of  the  night,  contrary  to  Lieut. 
Graham's  orders,  some  of  the  Indians  shot  two 
of  the  sentries  from  off  their  boats,  and  liie  next 
morning  the  enemy  struck  the  white  fiag,  and, 
to  their  confusion  be  it  said,  hoisted  a  scarlet 
one  in  its  place,  a  signal  for  no  quarters.  Lieut. 
Graham,   finding   their   intentions  were   to    re- 


IVO 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


main  there  some  time,  and  as  the  Indians  be- 
came ungovernable,  it  became  necessary  to 
commence  a  fire  upon  lliem,  which  was  done 
with  much  honor  to  those  who  commanded  the 
guns.  They  having  fired  about  fifteen  rounds 
into  the  front  boat,  she  turned  her  stern  to  the 
current,  and  sailed  down  as  fast  as  possible,  the 
seven  others  immediately  followinij.  The  guns 
played  upon  them  as  long  as  they  could  be 
dragged  along  the  beach. 

Lieut.  Brisbois  commanded  one  of  the  swivels, 
Sergt.  Keating  the  three-pounder,  and  Sergt. 
Colin  Campbell,  of  the  fencibles  or  volunteers, 
the  other  swivel.  The  shots  were  well  di- 
rected, for  out  of  fifty-four  that  were  fired,  not 
more  than  three  missed  doing  execution.  The 
enemy  were  thrown  into  such  a  consternation 
on  seeing  a  few  red  coats,  that  they  could  do 
nothing  with  their  guns,  and  in  fact  did  not 
fire  more  than  fifteen  shots  till  they  recovered 
their  senses,  and  then  they  were  too  far  off  to 
do  execution,  but  kept  up  a  brisk  random  firing. 
Notwithstanding  about  1,200  Indians,  and  the 
detachment  from  this  place  were  the  number 
present,  and  every  man  displayed  the  greatest 
courage  and  good  conduct,  yet  the  battle  was 
fought  by  only  about  twenty  men  that  manned 
the  guns. 

If  the  officers  and  men  of  this  garrison  have 
merit  for  their  conduct  on  the  I7th  of  July  last, 
surely  the  detachment  to  the  Rock  river  excel, 
and  deserve  every  praise.  The  gun-boats  were 
supposed  to  have  800  men  on  board,  and  some 
of  them  were  pierced  for  twelve  guns.  I  beg 
to  mention  particularly  Lieut.  Graham's  judi- 
cious conduct  in  the  command  of  the  detach- 
ment, and  Lieut  Brisbois,  Sergt.  Keating,  and 
Sergt.  Colin  Campbell  of  the  volunteers,  for 
their  courage  and  well  managed  tiring.  On 
this  head  too  much  cannot  be  said  of  Sergt. 
Keating. 

The  satisfaction  afforded  the  Indians  from 
their  having  had  this  assistance,  can  only  be 
imagined.  Their  shouts  and  acclamations  of 
joy  at  every  shot  from  our  guns,  drowned  the 


report  of  the  guns,  and  notwithstanding  the 
only  assistance  they  could  give  was  to  drag 
about  the  guns,  they  displayed  the  greatest 
courage,  and  promised  to  die  to  a  man  with 
their  fathers.  The  Feuille  wilh  his  warriors 
were  particularly  active  in  this  duty.  The 
Sauks  have,  without  repeating  their  gallant  con- 
duet  in  the  field,  bthaved  in  a  manner  foreign 
to  Indian  Nations.  They,  having  large  fields 
of  corn,  strove  one  with  another,  who  would  be 
the  most  obliging,  and  furnish  the  most  of 
that  article  to  the  detachment. 

Not  being  well  acquainted  with  the  duties  of 
a  commanding  officer,  I  dreaded  reproach  by 
leaving  the  garrison,  is  the  reason  why  I  did 
not  go  myself  with  the  detachment  below;  but 
should  any  other  opportunity  present  itself,  I 
will  risk  the  leaving  the  garrison  in  charge  of 
some  militia,  to  go  and  meet  the  enemy  with 
all  the  force  I  can  muster,  unless  I  receive  con- 
trary orders.  The  iron  three-pounder,  we  took 
with  Fort  McKay,  is  without  any  elevating 
screw,  a  necessary  part  of  the  gun  we  cannot 
get  made  here.  I  take  the  liberty  to  refer  you 
to  letters  written  to  and  received  from  Lieut. 
Graham  during  his  absence  with  the  detach- 
ment to  the  Rock  river,  which  will  afford  you 
a  more  minute  detail  of  the  whole  management. 

That  worthy  soldier,  Sergt.  Keating,  begs  of 
me  to  request  you  will  do  him  the  favor  to  ac- 
cept his  warmest  acknowledgments  for  the 
honor  you  have  shown  him.  From  his  behav- 
ior since  he  left  Mackinaw,  I  have  not  the 
smallest  doubt  but  he  will  continue  to  deserve 
your  approbation  of  his  conduct.  I  have  the 
honor,  etc., 

Thos.  G.  Anderson,  Capt.  Com'd'g. 

Sent  a  barge  off  for  the  portage  to  bring 
away  the  ammunition,  and  at  the  same  time 
to  take  the  dispatches  there  and  forward  them 
by  the  barge  that  came  from  Mackinaw  to  Lieut. 
Grignon  at  Green  Bay,  and  for  him  to  forward 
to  Mackinaw. 

Thursday,  Sept.  15th.  —  Nothing  material 
happened    till    the     afternoon    at    6     o'clock. 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


71 


when  interpreter  Frenier  arrived  from 
above,  with  news  that  the  Sioux  would  all 
leave  their  villages  on  the  1-tth  inst.,  to  come 
and  wait  at  the  place  I  told  them  till  further 
orders,  except  the  Little  Corbeau  with  his  lodge, 
who  would  come  and  camp  here.  This  chief 
sent  word  to  the  Renards  above  this,  that  his 
Father  had  told  him  to  destroy  the  Americans 
as  much  as  lay  in  his  power,  and  he  knew  these 
Renards  to  be  Americans;  but  at  the  same  time 
t'  ey  were  related  to  the  Sioux,  on  which  account 
he  warned  them  to  be  out  of  his  way  when  he 
should  come  down.  That  he  would  be  down 
with  a  detachment,  and  intended  to  hunt 
Americans  all  winter  ;  and  that  whatever  of 
that  description  came  in  his  sight  he  would  cut 
down.  When  the  Americans  were  here,  they 
sent  a  carrot  of  tobacco  to  each  village  except 
his,  saying  thej-  knew  him  to  be  too  good  an 
Englishman  to  be  induced  to  join  them.  The 
Little  Corbeau  said  he  was  quite  proud  of  the 
honor  they  did  him  ;  but  as  it  was  done  with  a 
view  to  despise  him,  he  could  not  forget  it  on 
that  account,  and  the  only  means  of  retaliation 
he  had,  was  to  make  his  young  men  take  a  few 
scalps,  which  he  would  have  done  before  the 
sj)ring. 

Friday,  September  16th. — Got  word  of  some 
Puants  having  killed  an  ox,  and  that  they  were 
drying  the  meat  a  short  distance  below  the  en- 
trance of  the  Oiiisconsin.  By  allowing  them 
to  go  on  in  this  way,  without  trying  to  prevent 
it,  they  would  in  a  short  time  destroy  all  the 
cattle  in  this  region,  and  leave  us  destitute  of 
provisions.  I,  therefore,  ordered  Lieut.  Bris- 
bois,  of  the  Indian  department,  with  one  inter- 
preter and  four  men,  to  go  to  their  lodge  and 
take  whatever  meat  they  had,  and  order  thorn 
away. 

Fort  McKay,  Sept.  10,  1814. 
Lieut.  Brisisois. — 

Sir: — Some  Puants  camped  a  short  distance 
below  the  entrance  of  the  Ouisconsin,  having, 
in  defiance  of  the  orders  they  have  received  to 
the  contrary,  killed,  within   this  day  or  two,  an 


ox  belonging  to  a  citizen  of  this  place;  you  are 
recjuested  to  go  immediately,  with  one  inter- 
preter and  four  of  the  volunteers,  to  order  them 
aw.ay  from  this,  and  take  what  beef  they  may 
have  remaining.  Yours,  etc., 

Thos.  G.  Anderson,  Capt.  Comd'g. 

At  6,  Lieut.  Brisbois  returned,  bringing  with 
him  a  little  dried  meat,  and  some  tallow.  I  gave 
the  meat  to  those  that  had  been  to  bring  it,  and 
the  tallow  I  kept  for  the  use  of  the  guns.  Lieut. 
Brisbois  brought  word  that  the  Puants  e.x- 
pected  to  have  been  taken,  and  confined  in  the 
garrison.  They  said  they  w-re  surprised  that 
we  complained  that  they  killed  an  ox  ;  that  we 
would  be  more  surprised  when  their  Father  ar- 
rived from  Mackinaw,  for  then  they  would 
neither  leave  an  ox,  cow  or  horse  in  the  village. 

Saturday,  September  I7th. — Lieut.  Graham, 
when  at  Rock  river,  found  some  of  the  Mis- 
souri Indians  there,  who  came  with  an  intention 
to  see  the  superintendent;  and  finding  that  they 
behaved  themselves  so  well  in  the  action,  he 
promised  them  some  trifling  articles  from  the 
King's  store.  I,  accordingly,  mustered  what  I 
could,  and  set  off  interpreter,  Guiilroy,  with 
them,  ordering,  at  the  same  time,  that  he  should 
remain  with  the  Sauks  in  case  any  news  should 
be  received  of  the  enemy's  coming  up,  to  get 
occular  information,  and  immediately  to  bring 
me  word. 

Sunday,  September  18th. — At  10,  assembled 
the  troops  as  usual,  and  read  to  them  the  con- 
tents of  Lieut.  Col.  McDouall's  letter  as  far  as 
it  regarded  them.  I  then  spoke  to  them  in  the 
following  manner:  "After  reading  the  con- 
tents of  Lieut.  Col.  McDouall's  letter  to  you  as 
far  as  it  regards  Michigan  fencibles,  volun- 
teers, etc.,  I  now  take  the  opportunity  to  thank 
the  detachments  in  general  that  defeated  the 
eight  American  gun-boats  at  the  Rock  river,  for 
their  good  and  spirited  conduct  during  their 
absence  from  this  place,  and  do  not  make  the 
smallest  doubt  but  they  will  receive  the  thanks 
of  Lieut.  Col.  McDouall.  I  also  take  this  op- 
portunity of  explaining  to   you   all,  the  orders 


If2 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COIINTY. 


of  the  day,  in  which  you  will  find  the  demands 
made  upon  the  different  corps  ;  and  as  it  is  for 
the  preservation  of  this  place  in  general,  and 
for  the  good  of  His  Majesty's  service,  I  have 
not  the  smallest  doubt  but  my  demands  will  be 
executed  without  a  murmur.  From  your  good 
conduct,  and  attention  to  your  duties  since  the 
Michigans  and  volunteers  so  nobly  possessed 
themselves  of  this  fort,  and  delivered  the  citi- 
zens of  this  place  from  an  enemy,  the  presence 
of  which  was  most  aggravating  to  them,  I  have 
every  reason  to  believe  I  shall  not  be  under  the 
necessity  of  going  to  extremities,  a  most  dis- 
agreeable task  to  one  who  wishes  his  fellow- 
soldiers  and  volunteers  everything  that  is  good 
and  glorious." 

At  12  o'clock,  a  Sioux  woman  from  above, 
brought  word  that  a  party  of  Gens  de  Feuille, 
with  some  Yanktons  of  the  Riviere  des  Moines, 
numbering  about  forty  men,  were  near  the  Feu- 
ille's  village,  destined  for  the  war  path;  but 
they  did  not  know  where  the  the  Feuille,  or 
Leaf,  was  ;  and  having  been  notified  not  to  go 
alone,  he  went  with  his  warriors  to  know  what 
were  the  intentions  of  this  party.  No  news 
since. 

About  2  o'clock,  hearing  that  Winosheek, 
an  old  Puant,  was  in  possession  of  a  pipe  and 
wamhum  for  the  Sioux,  I  inquired  what  was 
'the  intention  of  it.  The  old  man  brought  it  to 
my  room,  and  showed  it  to  me,  saying  it  was  to 
ask  permission  of  the  Sioux  to  winter  on  their 
lands  between  this  and  the  Riviere  des  Sioux  ; 
not  to  go  to  war  on  the  Sotrax  [Sauteurs,  or 
Chippewas],  but,  on  the  contrary,  to  request  all 
Indians,  of  what  Nation  soever,  to  join  hands, 
and  not  allow  an  American  to  come  this  far. 
How  true  this  is,  I  know  not. 

Monday,  Sept.  19th. — Five  Sauks  arrived 
about  10  o'clock  with  news  that  the  enemy 
were  at  the  entrance  of  the  Riviere  des  Moines, 
but  uncertain  what  were  their  number,  or 
whether  they  were  making  a  fort,  or  on  their 
way  up  here.  I,  therefore,  await  interpreter 
Guillroy's  return,  to   decide    what  I  will   do — 


whether  to  go  and  meet  them,  or  wait  their 
arrival  here.  At  12,  sent  off  interpreter  Ren- 
ville to  notify  the  Sioux  to  keep  themselves  in 
readiness,  and  to  assemble  from  the  Prairie  a 
La  Orosse  downvrards  to  hunt  till  further  orders. 

Tuesday,  Sept.  20th.— Nothing  of  consequence. 
A  party  of  militia  at  work  at  the  fort.  En- 
gaged Charles  La  Pointe  at  ten  shillings  a  day 
to  oversee  and  finish  the  doubling  of  some  part 
of  the  garrison  [pickets]  where  they  are  weak. 
The  three  guns  kept  constantly  drilling.  Bought 
a  horse  to  draw  the  six-pounder. 

Wednesday,  Sept.  21st. — At  2  p.  m.,  the  barge 
arrived  from  portage  with  the  ordnance  stores, 
and  powder  and  tobacco  for  the  Indian  depart- 
ment. A  case  of  round  shot  for  the  three- 
pounder  wanting,  and  nearly  a  keg  of  powder  ; 
and  one-third  of  a  roll  of  tobacco  belonging  to 
the  Indian  department  missing.  About  4  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon  six  Reiiards,  of  the  Barboul- 
liers'  band  arrived  from  above  to  learn  the 
news.  They  brought  a  pipe,  and  the  following 
speech  from  the  HarbouUier  : 

"  My  Father,  why  have  you  not  confidence  in 
me  ?  I  am  yours.  In  everything  you  do  I 
wish  to  be  with  you.  I  can  only  die  once,  and 
the  only  death  I  look  for  is  alongside  of  you. 
1  expected  you  would  have  sent  me  word  to  tell 
uie  the  enemy  were  coming  up.  I  send  you  my 
pipe  to  tell  you  my  ideas,  and  at  the  same  time 
to  know  yours. 

"My  father,  if  there  are  any  bad  birds,  do  not, 
I  beg  of  you,  number  me  with  them.  I  have 
hold  of  your  hand,  and  will  never  let  it  slip  ; 
but  will  follow  your  road  as  long  as  I  live. 
Send  me  word  what  you  intend  doing.  I  am 
ready  to  follow  you.  When  I  went  to  meet  the 
bad  dogs  last  time  at  the  Rock  river,  I  had  but 
a  few  mouthfuls  to  give  my  warriors,  but  now 
I  have  really  too  much — what  might  make  a 
good  feast.  My  young  men  are  numerous, 
stout  and  hungry." 

I  replied  :  "My  brethren  you  must  not  call 
me  Father.  You  have  only  one  Father  in  this 
country,  that  is  the  Red  Head,  Robert  Dickson, 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


173 


the  others  are  all  your  brethren.  The  moment 
that  the  Sauks  arrived  from  below,  and  told  me 
thoy  had  seen  the  enemy,  they  supposed,  on 
their  way  up  here,  I  sent  off  an  interpreter  with 
them  to  inform  all  the  Indians  he  should  see  on 
his  way  up,  till  he  should  meet  the  Little  Cor- 
beau,  of  the  news  the  Sauks  brought.  At  the 
same  time  to  request  all  to  repair  to  Prairie  a 
la  Crosse,  to  await  the  return  of  interpreter 
Guillroy,  whom  I  sent  down  some  days  ago  to 
gain  certain  information  of  the  enemy.  That 
on  his  return  I  would  again  send  and  notify  all 
the  Indians  whether  I  would  go,  and  meet  the 
enemy  below,  or  await  them  here  ;  and  that  I 
had  not  the  smallest  doubt,  from  their  coura- 
geous conduct  heretofore,  but  they  would  be 
all  ready  at  a  moment's  warning."  I  then  in- 
formed them  of  the  news  from  Mackinaw,  etc. 
Capt.  Dease  gave  them  a  little  powder  and  to- 
bacco, and  they  went  off  at  7  o'clock  in  the 
evening.  In  the  course  of  the  day,  I  went  out 
to  the  inhabitants  to  purchase  flour,  but  could 
procure  none.  Tiiere  are  only  two  days'  rations 
of  that  article  in  the  garrison. 

Thursday,  Sept.  2-2d. — Capt.  Dease  assem- 
bled the  inhabitants  at  this  place,  and  appealed 
to  them  to  try  and  procure  flour.  Want  of  horses, 
mills  and  time  were  the  reasons  they  gave  for 
not  supplying  that  article.  They  promised  to 
furnish  what  they  can  spare  as  fast  as  possible; 
but  not  with  tiiat  energy  generally  shown  by 
Uritish  subjects  on  like  occasions.  Capt.  Dease 
preferred  to  go  with  ammunition  to  the  Sauks. 
Friday,  Sept.  2.3d. — Capt.  Dease  set  off  at  9 
o'clock  in  the  morning  with  three  men,  accom- 
])anied  by  Thomas,  the  Sauk  chief.  Fired  a  few 
rounds  from  the  guns  to  practice. 

Sunday,  Sept.  25th. — Assembled  the  troops 
as  usual,  and  immediately  after  went  out  and 
practiced  at  the  target.  Shot  six  rounds  with 
the  si.x-pounder,  five  with  each  of  the  three- 
pounders,  and  five  with  a  swivel.  Confined  De- 
mairaix,  a  Michigan  private,  for  refusing  to  do 
his  duty  when  on  fatigue,  and  one  of  tiie  volun- 
teers for  absolutely  refusing  to   mount  guard. 


Duncan    Campbell    made  the  best  shot  at   the 
guns. 

Monday,  Sept.  2t!th.— Two  men  of  the  volun- 
teers, Kennet  and  Grignon,  were  confined  in  the 
guard-house  by  the  officer  of  the  day,  for  fight- 
ing when  on  guard.  Established  a  court  of 
inquir}'  to  be  held  to  investigate  the  conduct  of 
the  men  in  the  guard-room.  Not  being  able 
to  inflict  corporal  punishment,  this  method  is 
adopted  in  case  they  are  found  guilty  and  merit 
punishment.  They  will  be  detained  in  confine- 
ment till  an  occasion  offers  to  send  them  to 
Mackinaw.  At  12  o'clock,  the  court  of  inquiry 
not  finding  Demairaix  and  Grignon  guilty  of 
the  crimes  they  were  charged  with,  I  had  them 
released. 

Tuesday,  Sept.  27th. — At  10,  a  court  martial 
was  held,  when  Pierre  Emare,  private  in  the 
volunteers,  was  found  guilty  of  neglect  of  duty 
in  refusing  to  mount  guard;  but  the  court  after 
condemning  him  to  be  sent  to-  Mackinaw  in 
irons,  to  lose  his  pay  from  the  time  of  his  en- 
gagement, and  to  lose  his  share  of  the  prize 
money,  recommended  him  to  the  mercy  of  the 
commanding  officer.  Finding  his  crime  pro- 
ceeded entirely  through  ignorance,  and  in  con- 
sequence of  his  former  good  conduct,  I  ordered 
him  to  be  released  from  confinement  to-morrow 
morning,  and  return  to  his  duty.  At  2,  a  canoe 
arrived  from  below,  with  six  Renards,  among 
tliem  Bardack,  a  chief,  with  news  that  the 
Americans,  seen  at  the  Riviere  des  Moines, 
were  those  driven  back  from  the  Rock  river, 
who  put  ashore  to  burj'  some  of  their  dead. 

They  also  complained  hard  of  Capt.  Dease 
not  giving  them  any  powder  on  his  way  down. 
They  also  came  to  inquire  about  a  report  circu- 
lating amongst  them,  that  the  Sioux  were  assem- 
bled to  go  to  war  against  the  Renards  and  Sauks. 
This  report  was  fabricated  by  the  bands  of  the 
Jeune  Homme,  or  Young  Man,  and  Tonnerre 
Noir,  or  Hlack  Thunder,  Renard  Yankee  chiefs, 
to  irritate  those  Nations  against  the  Sioux,  and 
by  this  means  to  disaffect  our  Sauks  and  Renards. 
I    contradicted    the    report,   and    told  them   it 


174 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


sprung  from  the  Little  Corbeau  having  sent 
word  to  the  Tonnerre  Noir  and  Jeune  Homme, 
when  they  heard  of  his  coming  down  the 
river,  to  be  out  of  the  way,  for  his  Father  at 
Mackinaw  told  him  to  cut  down  everything 
American  that  he  found  in  the  road,  no  matter 
what  color  or  size.  In  the  evening  interpreter 
Renville  arrived  from  above.  The  Little  Cor- 
beau, with  100  of  his  warriors,  would  not  re- 
main above  to  hunt,  lest  his  presence  might 
be  necessary  here  sooner  than  word  could  reach 
him  from  me.  He  therefore  will  be  here  to-nior- 
ro  »•,  and  appears  to  be  determined  to  remain 
till  his  Father  arrives  from  Mackinaw. 

Weilnesday,  Sept.  28th.— At  11  o'clock,  the 
Little  Corbeau  arrived  with  100  men  and  their 
families.  With  all  his  young  men,  he  called 
upon  me,  g.ave  me  a  soldier's  pipe  and  every 
assurance  of  his  fidelity,  and  insists,  that  when 
Robert  Dickson  arrives,  he  will  go  to  work 
with  his  warriors,  to  exterminate  those  Indians 
about  here  that  adhere  to  the  Americans.  It 
was  with  much  difficulty  that  the  Feuille  or  Leaf 
with  the  assistance  of  Mr.  Renville,  who  I  sent 
up  for  that  purpose,  prevented  Little  Corbeau's 
falling  upon  the  Renards  above  this.  However, 
he  promises  to  be  quiet  till  his  Father,  Robert 
Dickson,  arrives;  then  he,  with  the  Feuille, 
will  insist  upon  beginning  with  the  Gens  de  la 
Feuille. 

I  only  said  to  him,  that  his  having  been  to 
Mackinaw,  rendered  it  unnecessary  for  me  to 
give  him  any  advice,  or  tell  him  his  Father's  or- 
ders; but  requested  him  not  to  permit  his  young 
men  to  injure  the  people  here  in  killing  what  few 
Americans  yet  remain.  The  Bardack,  or  Ren- 
ard,  that  I  yesterday  requested  to  remain  to 
hear  the  news  from  the  Little  Corbeau  himself, 
being  present,  he  told  them  that  what  he  had 
said  respecting  the  American  Indians  was  true; 
but  as  to  speaking  in  general  terms  against 
others,  he  intended  to  say,  that  he  regarded 
every  Indian  and  white  soldier,  no  matter  of 
what  color,  as  long  as  they  were  British  sub- 
jects, as    his    brother — the  rest  his    inveterate 


enemies,  and  would  act  with  the  greatest  vigor 
towards  both  accordingly.  He  then  said:  "I 
wish  to  talk  with  my  friend,  the  Bardack  ;  but 
as  I  am  only  on  a  visit  in  the  house  of  a  brother 
soldier,  I  can  say  nothing  ;  however,  I  will 
thank  you  not  to  go  away  to-day,  and  I  will  do 
myself  the  pleasure  to  invite  you  and  talk  over 
the  affairs  of  our  Nations  in  general,  at  niy  own 
wigwam  or  lodge."  I  gave  them  each  a  glass 
of  whisky,  and  among  the  whole,  forty  loaves 
of  bread,  which  I  got  with  much  diffiulty. 

Thursday,  September  29th. — At  about  .3  in 
the  morning,  it  began  to  rain  excessively,  and 
thundered  and  lightened  very  much.  At  10, 
the  Little  Corbeau  sent  for  me  to  visit  his 
lodge  with  the  Renards.  He  related  to  the 
Renards  all  the  talks  he  had  got  from  his 
Father,  saying  he  looked  upon  all  people,  no 
matter  of  what  Nation,  so  long  as  they  were 
British  subjects,  as  his  brethren.  "I  sent  word," 
said  he,  "to  the  Renards,  at  the  Riviere  des 
Ayovois  [lowas],  when  they  heard  of  my  com- 
ing down,  to  be  out  of  the  way,  that  my 
Father  told  me  to  strike  everything  American 
that  came  in  my  way;  but  the  soldier  you  see 
here,  together  with  the  advice  of  the  Feuille, 
have  made  me  withhold  my  war-club  till  my 
Father  arrives  ;  then  if  he  says,  strike,  I  will 
do  so  with  the  greatest  good  will  and  violence  ; 
and  if  he  tells  me  to  withhold  it,  I  will  do  it, 
but  never  without  his  request.  My  opinion  is, 
the  nearer  we  are  related,  the  better  we  ought 
to  love  each  other;  and  when  relations  fall  out, 
our  revenge  ought  to  bo  the  more  violent." 
Presenting  the  Renards  with  a  pipe,  he  said  : 
"Take  this  soldier's  pipe,  and  report  to  all  the 
Sauks  and  Renards  my  discourse  and  my  deter- 
mination, and  tell  them  from  me  that  it  is  not  a 
good  time  to  be  idle  or  sporting,  but  every  man 
must  follow  my  example.  If  any  are  my  ene- 
mies, let  them  show  themselves,  and  let  my 
friends  do  the  same'" 

He  then  gave  them  the  pipe,  and  we  ate  a 
mouthful,  after  which  the  Renards  answered  as 
follows:     "As  to  my  Father's  talks,  we  know 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


lis 


tbatall  that  comes  from  his  mouth  is  true  and 
good.  In  every  village  we  find  some  fools.  I 
have  frequently  spoken  to  our  relations,  the 
Jeune  Ilomme  and  Tonnerre  Noir,  but  have  not 
been  ible  to  bring  them  to  reason.  I  shall  go 
to-morrow  with  your  pipe,  and  deliver  them 
your  discourse.  I  hope  they  may  open  their 
ears  ;  but  let  the  consequence  be  what  it  may, 
this  is  the  last  time  I  shall  counsel  them.  If 
they  listen  to  me,  so  much  the  better  ;  but  if 
they  absolutely  persist  in  evil  conduct,  and  will 
not  leave  it  in  our  Father's  power  to  give  life  to 
their  women  and  children,  I  shall  then  be  ready 
with  you  to  follow  our  Father's  directions.  I 
have  killed  Americans,  and  am  always  awake, 
witli  my  cass-tete  or  tomahawk  in  my  hand  for 
that  purpose." 

I  then  told  them  I  was  happy  to  see  them 
give  such  friendly  proofs  of  their  relationship, 
and  that  as  long  as  they  coniinued  in  the  same 
sentiments  they  should  not  want ;  that  I  was 
not  left  here  to  give  advice  or  counsel  with  my 
red  brethren,  but  to  take  care  of  this  fort  and 
the  i)eople  about  it;  that  I  listened  to  every- 
thing that  was  going  forward,  and  wrote  it 
down,  that  their  Father  might  see  it,  and  that  I 
had  not  the  smallest  doubt  but  their  Father 
would  be  pleased  with  their  present  discourse. 
I  tiien  turned  to  the  Reiiards,  and  told  them 
when  they  heard  the  Little  Corbeau  speak, 
they  iieard  the  talk  of  the  whole  Sioux  Nation, 
and  that  he  must  be  respected  and  hearkened  to. 

Friday,  September  30tii. — Nothing  material, 
except  two  men,  having  been  out  hunting,  saw 
three  Fuant  lodges  at  the  entrance  of  the  Ouis- 
consin,  wiio  told  them  that  they  had  heard  by 
other  Indians  that  Robert  Dickson  was  near  the 
portage,  and  that  the  Puants  were  assembling 
at  the  portage  to  meet  him. 

Saturday,  Oct.  1st. — -At  7,  Duncan  began  to 
make  the  chimneys.  He  is  to  have  a  man  to 
assist  him  continually,  and  to  get  400  livres 
for  each  chimney,  to  be  finislied  the  15th,  and 
should  be  supplied  with  100  pounds  of  pork,  and 
three  pounds  of  powder.     At  8,  two  men,  by  the 


names  of  Pierre  Vasseur  and  Jacques  Ilebert, 
were  confined  in  the  guard  house  ;  also  a  man  by 
the  name  of  Pierre  Provancall,  of  the  volunteers, 
the  two  former  for  having  got  out  of  the  fort, 
through  a  port-hole,  after  8  o'clock  at  night,  the 
latter  for  having  fallen  asleep  on  his  post  when 
on  guard;  the  whole  to  be  examined  on  Monday 
next  before  a  court  of  inquiry,  to  be  appointed 
for  that  purpose.  It  appears  that  Pierre  Vas- 
seur made  use  of  mutinous  language  in  the  fort. 
At  12,  a  FoUe  Avoine  arrived  from  the  portage, 
who  brought  word  that  an  express  had  arrived 
there  ten  days  ago,  with  news,  that  Robert 
Dickson  was  at  the  bay,  when  the  courier  from 
the  bay  left  that  place  ;  that  he  waa  bringing  a 
great  number  of  barges  and  soldiers,  and  that 
no  word  was  mentioned  of  the  Puants. 

Sunday,  Oct.  2d. — The  troops  assembled  as 
usual  ;  practiced  firing  ;  fifteen  shots  were  tired  ; 
only  one  struck  the  target ;  Manaiger,  a  private 
of  the  IVIichigans,  made  the  best  sliots. 

Monday,  Oct.  3d. — All  hands  on  fatigue.  The 
Sioux  played  at  la  crosse  all  day  ;  several  got 
sore  wounds  from  the  ball  and  the  hurl  sticks. 
At  7,  Antoine  Brisbois  arrived  with  a  boat  load 
of  corn.     Rained  excessively. 

Tuesday,  Oct.  4th. — Notiiing  new.  Got  word 
that  the  Renards  from  above  wished  to  come 
and  deliver  themselves  up.  This  proceeds  from 
the  Little  Corbeau's  threats,  and  the  same  time 
having  given  a  pipe  to  the  Bardack,  telling  him 
his  determination,  as  soon  as  his  father  arrives, 
to  begin  and  strike  on  all  those  that  are  the 
American's  friends.  The  .Jeune  Homme  arrived 
in  the  village,  but  did  not  show  himself  where 
I  was.  The  Sioux  continued  playing  at  la 
crosse.  Yesterday  we  buried  an  old  woman  by 
the  name  of  Marie.  She  died  the  night  before 
last.  She  had  been  poisoned.  A  great  loss  to 
this  village,  she  being  an  excellent  old  doctress, 
particularly  for  children.  She  was  of  the  Sioux 
Nation,  but  had  been  a  long  time  amongst  the 
white  people.     Hazy  weather. 

Wednesday,  Oct.  5th. — Several  canoes  of  Ren- 
ards arrived  from  above.     Called  upon  me  with 


llQ 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


their  flag  twisted,  in  consideration  of  the  Little 
Corbeau's  pipe.  I  gave  them  my  hand,  and  at 
the  same  time  told  them  the  reason  why  I  did 
so.  The  Sioux  finished  playing  at  la  crosse. 
It  is  with  the  greatest  ditticulty  the  commissary 
procures  provisions  for  the  troops. 

Thursday,  Oct.  6th. — A  beautiful  morning. 
At  9  o'clock  one  canoe  with  six  men  arrived 
from  the  Feuilles'  band  for  a  little  powder  and 
tobacco.  Though  much  in  want  of  those  arti- 
cles, I  have  none  to  give  them,  and  Capt.  Dease's 
long  stay  below,  obliges  them  to  return  in  the 
morning  without  this  very  necessary  assistance. 

Friday,  Oct.  Yth.^The  Feuilles'  young  men 
did  not  depart,  in  expectations  that  Capt.  Dease 
would  return.  At  12,  released  Pierre  Vasseur 
and  Jacques  Hebert  from  the  guard  house,  as 
also  Pierre  Provancall ;  but  confined  them  to 
the  square  on  hard  labor,  the  first  for  eight 
days,  the  second  for  six  days,  and  the  last  for 
four  days.  The  numerous  Indian  tribes  about 
the  village,  quite  destitute  of  tobacco  and  am- 
munition, are,  in  a  manner,  in  distress,  and  Robert 
Dickson's  arrival  is  much  wished  for  by  all  ranks 
and  colors. 

Saturday,  Oct.  8th. — ^Capt.  Dease's  unexpected 
long  absence  obliges  me  to  order  Lieut.  Graham 
to  issue  a  little  tobacco  to  the  Sioux,  who  are 
absolutely  in  want. 

Fort  McKay,  Oct.  8,  1814. 
Lieut.  Geahaji — 

Sir: — The  absolute  necessity  thn  Sioux  are  in 
for  that  article,  and  Capt.  Dease's  long  absence, 
makes  it  necessary  for  me  to  order  that  you  will 
immediately  issue  to  Little  Corbeau,  twenty 
pounds  of  tobacco,  of  that  which  Capt.  Dease 
left  in  your  charge,  to  be  distributed  in  the 
Feuille  and  Little  Corbeau's  bands,  as  they 
think  proper. 

I  am,  etc., 

Thos.  G.  Anderson, 

Capt.  Com'd'g. 

Sunday,  Oct.  9th. — At  8,  yesterday  morning, 
Capt.  Dease  arrived  from  below.  Brought  in- 
terpreter Guillroy  with  him,  who  had  been  at 


the  American  fort  at  the  rapids  of  the  Riviere 
des  Moines,  and  brings  word  that  they  have 
built  a  fort  exactly  opposite  that  river ;  that  it 
is  about  fifty  yards  square  ;  that  they  saw  three 
men  about  the  fort,  two  of  whom  he  supposed 
were  looking  for  honey ;  the  other  was  about 
their  boats.  They  have  uncovered  their  boats 
for  lumber  to  cover  their  houses. 

Some  of  the  volunteers  refused  to  take  corn 
for  their  rations;  and  when  the  troops  were  all 
assembled,  I  ordered  those  that  had  refused 
their  rations  out  of  the  ranks,  took  away  their 
guns  and  forbid  every  person  giving  them  any 
support,  or,  at  their  peril,  to  harbor  them,  and 
gave  orders  to  the  officers  of  the  Indian  depart- 
Tnent  to  tell  the  Indians,  that  if  any  of  them 
were  found  any  distance  from  here,  to  bring 
them  back,  dead  or  alive.  The  were  much  sur- 
prised at  the  sentence,  and  immediately  wished 
to  apologize  for  it,  but  I  would  not  hear  them. 
I,  at  the  same  time,  thanked  the  others  for 
not  allowing  themselves  to  be  led  into  such  a 
disgraceful  plot. 

Monday,  October  10th — Capt.  Dease  distrib- 
uted powder  and  tobacco  to  the  starving  Indians 
here  about;  and  in  order  to  provide  flour  for 
the  garrison,  he  at  the  same  time  was  under  the 
absolute  necessity  of  exchanging  powder  for 
that  articler  The  inhabitants  not  being  able  to 
thrash  their  wheat  for  the  want  of  time,  I  was 
obliged  to  exempt  them  from  working  at  the 
garrison. 

Tuesday,  October  11th — Employed  the  day 
in  writing  letters  to  Mackinaw,  etc.: 

Prairie  d0  Chikn,  Fort  McKay, 
Oct.  11,  1814. 
LiBar.  CoL.  R.  McDouall: 

Sir — I  have  the  honor  to  communicate  to  you 
that  yesterday  a  discovering  paity,  I  had  sent 
off  some  time  ago,  returned  with  news  that  five 
of  the  eight  gun-boats,  that  were  driven  back 
from  the  Rock  river  (the  other  three  are  sup- 
posed to  have  continued  their  route  to  St.  Louis) 
are  at  the  entrance  of  the  Riviere  des  Moines; 
and   the   Americans  have  built  a  fort  there,  on 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


177 


the  east  side  of  the  Mississippi,  about  140 
leagues  from  this,  and  about  half  way  from  this 
to  St.  Louis,  two  leagues  below  the  fort  of  the 
Rapids.  Interpreter  Guillroy,  who  headed  this 
jiarty  of  eight  Sauks,  reports  to  have  been  within 
musket  shot  of  the  fort  for  a  whole  day,  and 
discovered  throe  men,  two  of  which  he  supposed 
were  looking  for  honey;  and  wishing  to  take 
them  prisoners,  prevailed  upon  the  Indians  not 
to  fire  upon  them.  By  this  means  they  unfortu- 
nately made  their  escape.  The  third  man  was 
walking  about  the  boat,  all  of  which  they  have 
uncovered,  and  made  use  of  the  boards  to  cover 
their  houses. 

The  fort  is  about  fifty  yardg  square,  and  is 
picketed  in  with  very  large  oak  pickets,  about 
twelve  feet  high,  and  is  situated  on  a  high  hill 
that  terminates  at  the  water  side  where  their  boats 
are  hauled  up.  They  have  cleared  all  the  trees 
and  brush  from  the  back  part  of  their  fort  to 
the  distance  of  musket  shot;  but  in  front,  to 
the  water  side,  they  have  left  a  thick  woocT 
standing,  I  suppose  to  cover  their  going  for 
water.  At  the  north  side  of  their  fort,  about 
700  or  800  yards  distance,  is  a  small  hill  or  ele- 
vation, which  rather  exceeds  the  fort  in  height, 
and  entirely  covers  the  approach  of  troops  till 
the  e.\tremity  of  the  hill  is  attained.  The  Mis- 
sissippi at  this  place  is  about  1,000  or  1,200 
yards  wide,  and  clear  from  islands.  From  the 
expeditious  manner  in  which  they  have  for- 
warded their  work  in  so  short  a  time,  I  am  led 
to  believe  they  must  be  about  500  strong.  What 
their  real  plan  is,  I  cannot  say;  but  I  conceive 
that  their  object  is  to  assemble  a  strong  force 
with  a  large  supply  of  provisions,  and  either  to 
attempt  to  come  up  here  this  fall  late,  or  make 
*  a  grand  attack  in  the  spring,  and  use  every 
means  to  destroy  the  Indian  tribes  on  the  bor- 
ders of  the  Mississippi. 

A  Pottawatamie  Indian,  liaving  been  taken 
prisoner  some  time  ago  by  the  Americans,  made 
liis  escape  about  the  time  the  eigiit  gun-boats 
left  St.  Louis  for  this  place,  and  reported  to  the 
Sauks,  that  an   expedition  of  500  men   left   St. 


Louis  at  the  same  time,  with  the  eight  gun- 
boats, to  proceed  up  the  Missouri*  under  a  pre- 
tence of  friendship  with  our  Indians  on  that 
river,  offer  them  terms  of  accommodation,  give 
them  a  few  goods  and  at  the  moment  the  In- 
dians would  be  distributing  the  goods  among 
themselves,  the  Americans  were  to  fall  upon 
them  and  cut  them  to  pieces.  This  was  also 
the  plan  they  were  to  have  adopted  at  the  Rock 
river,  when  they  hoisted  their  white  flag.  Th's 
news,  coming  by  an  Indian  to  the  other  Na- 
tions, has  a  good  effect,  because  it  is  firmly  be- 
lieved; and  convinces  them  what  dastardly  ene- 
mies they  have  to  contend  with;  and  did  the 
Americans  really  wish  or  intend  to  come  to 
terms  with  them,  the  Indians  will  be  too  appre- 
hensive of  treachery,  to  admit  them  to  come  to 
a  parley. 

There  is  not  the  smallest  doubt  but  the  ene- 
my aim  at  this  place,  and  their  first  object  will 
be  (as  they  have  now  no  hopes  of  making  peace 
or  destroying  the  Indians  by  their  vile  statagems) 
to  drive  them,  if  possible,  off  the  borders  of  the 
Mississippi,  to  insure  for  themselves  a  free 
passage  or  communication  with  their  boats  to 
this  place.  This  object  obtained,  they  would 
with  ease  overcome  our  Indians,  and  in  a  short 
time  make  themselves  very  formidable  here. 
To  obviate  this,  I  take  the  libe'-ty  to  observe 
that  our  Indians  ought  to  be  amply  supplied 
with  ammunition;  and  some  troops  with  a  heavy 
gun  would  be  indispensably  necessary  to  destroy 
their  gun-boats,  and  make  a  breach  in  their 
forts. 

The  forts  they  build  are  constructed  in  such 
a  manner,  that  300  or  400  men  knock  up  one  in 
the  course  of  three  weeks,  composed  of  wood, 
earth  and  stone,  so  strong  as  to  bid  defiance  to 
the  small  guns  that  are  here;  and  without  regu- 
lar troops  to  cover  the  guns,  and  to  show  the 
example  in  scaling  or  making  a  breach,  no 
attacking  party  can  hope  for  success.  For  this 
purpose,  in    my  opinion,    a  twenty-four  pound 

*  Lieut.  Col.  Henry  Dodge's  expedition  up  the  Missouri, 
against  n  band  of  hostile  Miamies,  September,  1814,  capture 
intr  162. 


Its 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


carronade,   being   liglit,    would    be   the    most 
proper  gun. 

Our  troops  are  now  on  rations  of  corn  one 
day,  and  flour  and  pork  the  next;  but  the  hatter 
will,  in  a  few  days,  be  at  an  end.  There  are 
still  a  few  cattle  remaining;  but  I  tliink  it  ad- 
visable to  keep  them  for  the  present  in  case  of 
an  attack.  The  numerous  bands  of  Indians  that 
are  daily  assembling  here,  are  anxious  for  Rob- 
ert Dickson's  arrival,  not  only  in  hopes  of  re- 
ceiving supplies  of  ammunition,  etc.,  to  snjv 
port  them  during  the  winter,  but  in  hopes  that 
there  may  be- an  expedition  sent  down  the  Mis- 
sissippi. The  satisfaction  afforded  the  Indians 
on  hearing  Robert  Dickson's  talk  to  them 
through  Capt.  Dease,  was  very  great,  and  ani- 
mated them  exceedingly. 

The  mechanics  I  have  employed  about  the 
garrison,  etc.,  being  poor  people  that  live  by 
their  daily  labor,  I  get  them  paid  at  short  inter- 
vals by  Mr.  Brisbois,  who  has  been  very  oblig- 
ing in  that  way,  and  has  furnished  every- 
thing in  his  power  for  the  use  of  the  govern- 
ment. I  am  particularly  under  obligations  to 
him  for  furnishing  flour  to  the  troops  during 
the  time  the  inhabitants  were  getting  in  their 
harvest.  The  militia  in  general  have  been  at- 
tentive, and  have  assisted,  when  occasion  re- 
quired, to  work  at  the  garrison.  The  crop  of 
wheat,  and  Indian  corn,  has,  by  no  means,  been 
so  good  as  was  expected;  and  if  tlie  troops  are 
all  obliged  to  winter  here,  there  will  be  a  defi- 
ciency of  those  articles. 

Four  Sauks  have  this  moment  arrived  from 
the  Rock  river,  and  report  that  a  party  of  tlieir 
Nation  and  Kickapoos,  that  had  been  at  war 
on  the  Missouri,  returned  six  days  ago  to  their 
village.  After  having  attacked  an  American 
gun-boat  about  thirty  leagues  below  the  Riviere 
des  Moines,  and  could  make  nothing  of  it,  they 
proceeded  to  the  Missouri,  where  they  took  two 
scalps  and  on  their  way  back,  saw  six  gun- boats 
coming  up,  but  cannot  say  whether  tliey  are 
destined  for  the  fort  at  Cap  au  Gris,  twenty 
leagues  above  St.  Louis,  or  the  one  at  the  Ri- 


viere des  Moines.  The  Sauks,  since  Capt. 
Dease  took  them  the  supply  of  gunpowder,  are 
daily  detaching  themselves  by  small  parties  to 
lay  in  wait  for  the  workmen  about  the  new  fort. 

On  examining  the  ordnance  stores,  sent  out 
by  Lance  Corporal  Haywood,  there  proves  a  de- 
ficiency of  a  whole  case  of  three-pound  round 
shot,  thirty  rounds  less  than  mentioned  fn 
Sergt.  Pilmore's  account.  I  take  the  liberty  to 
enclose  to  you  three  different  lists  of  officers 
and  men  that  were  here  present,  or  on  command 
on  the  24th  of  July,  the  24th  of  August,  and  the 
24th  of  September,  and  remark  in  the  margin 
at  what  dates  certain  oflicers  and  men  left  this 
place.  Not  having  the  regular  forms  to  make 
out  the  pay  lists,  etc.,  I  trouble  you  with  those 
lists  to  give  an  idea  of  the  forces  here. 

The  principal  expenditures  have  been  for  me- 
chanics, flour,  and  Indians,  the  whole  of  which 
will  not  exceed  £  350  currency,  the  exact 
amount  of  which  I  will  transmit  as  soon  as  I 
get  the  regular  form.  Tliis  garrison  is  much  in 
want  of  a  flag,  and  the  articles  of  war. 
I  have  the  honor  to  be,  etc., 

Thos.  G.  Anderson, 
Capt.  Comd'g. 

Wednesday,  Oct.  12th. — Raining  all  day  ex- 
cessively, prevented  Lieut.  Graham's  marching. 

Tliursday,  Oct.  1 3th. — Weather  cleared  up  at 
10,  and  at  4  in  the  afternoon  Lieut.  Graham  set 
off.  In  the  evening,  he  having  forgot  some 
things,  sent  back  a  man  with  interpreter  Berthe. 

Friday,  Oct.  14th — Nothing  of  consequence, 
except  that  the  vagabond,  the  Tonnerre  Noir, 
arrived.  He  neither  showed  his  flag,  nor  called 
upon  me. 

Saturday,  Oct.  15th — Having  borrowed  a  keg 
of  gun-j)Owder  some  days  ago  from  Mr.  Giard, 
for  use  in  case  of  necessity,  and  flndiug  no  other 
means  of  encouraging  the  farmers  to  make  flour, 
I  gave  it  to  Capt.  Dease  to  exchange  for  flour 
or  other  provisions. 

Sunday,  Oct.  16th — Practicing  at  the  target 
was  the  means  of  expending  much  ammunition, 
left  it  off;  but  had  the  men  drilled.     In  the  eve- 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


179 


ning  two  Folles  Avoine  women  arrived  from 
Green  Bay,  one  month  on  the  passage.  They 
say  Robert  Dickson  was  to  be  at  the  bay  about 
the  1st  of  October;  that  he  was  bringing  with 
him  a  number  of  Court  Orielles,  all  the  Folles 
Avoines,  and  upwards  ef  100  soldiers;  that  the 
Nancy  had  taken  two  American  vessels,  and  that 
the  Sarcel  was  the  first  Indian  that  got  on  board, 
for  which  he  got  a  wani-pum  collar. 

Monday,  Oct.  17th — Began  the  northeast 
block-house.  The  Renards  made  a  straw  man, 
or  a  man  of  straw,  and  challenged  the  Sioux  to 
strike  upon  him,  which  they  did,  and  gave  them 
a  number  of  their  arms,  utensils  and  fineries. 
Bought  six  cords  of  wood  from  Champegne, 
which  I  have  not  yet  paid  him  for.  In  the  eve- 
ning Lieut.  Graham  returned,  bringing  with 
him  Mr.  Rolette,  from  Mackinaw,  who  brought 
me  letters  from  Col  McDouall,  etc.  As  time 
will  not  admit  of  my  copying,  they  are  filed  in 
the  desk. 

Tuesday,  Oct.  18th. — Began  to  write  letters, 
to  send  off  Lieut.  Graham  with  them.  At  4 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  fired  a  royal  salute  for 
the  good  news  from  Mackinaw. 

Wednesday,  Oct.  19th. — As  I  received  orders 
from  Col.  McDouall  to  discharge  the  Green  Bay 
volunteers,  I  did  so.  I  got  money  from  Mr. 
Rolette  to  pay  them  off.  I  issued  a  proclama- 
tion that  neither  provisions  nor  lead  should  go 
out  of  this  post,  knowing  that  an  order  was 
sent  here  from  Green  Bay,  and  the  demands  we 
had  for  those  articles  for  the  government,  were 
my  reasons. 

Thursday,  Oct.  20th— The  little  Corbeau 
called  a  council,  when  he  notified  us  that  part  of 
the  Sioux  were  going  to  return  home.  Mr. 
Dcase,  knowing  that  I  had  received  four  kegs 
of  gun-powder  for  the  Indians,  asked  me  for 
one  to  give  the  returning  Siouxs.  Finding 
it  requisite,  I  consented,  and  gave  it  to  him. 
Explained  to  them  in  a  few  words  what  Col. 
McDouall  had  ordered  me  to  do.  Finished 
my  dispatches  for  Mackinaw.    My  letters  being 


too  long  to  copy,  I  have  filed  them    with    other 
papers. 

Friday,  Oct.  21st — Louison  Berthe,  interpret- 
er in  the  Indian  department,  having  been  con- 
fined some  days  ago,  by  order  of  Capt.  Dease, 
for  having  refused  to  obey  orders,  requested  to 
speak  with  me,  or  to  get  permission  to  come 
and  apologize  for  his  past  bad  conduct.  I  sent 
him  word  I  had  nothing  to  do  with  him. 

Sunday,  Oct.  23d. — Assembled  the  troops  as 
usual,  and  informed  them  that  they  were  to  be 
mustered,  and  paid  off  to-morrow. 

Monday,  Oct.  24th. — Mustered  the  troops, 
and  paid  the  volunteers  up  to  the  24th  inst., 
Mr.  Rolette  having  furnished  the  necessary 
money  for  that  purpose. 

Tuesday,  Oct.  25th.—  Paid  off  the  detachment 
of  Michigan  Fencibles  up  to  the  24th  inst.,  Mr. 
Rolette  having  furnished  the  necessary  money 
for  that  purpose. 

Wednesday,  Oct.  26th. — Capt.  Dease  having 
received  a  letter  from  Mr.  Dickson,  agent  and 
superintendent  of  the  western  Nations, wherein 
he  mentions  to  him  to  allow  no  person  to  inter- 
fere with  him  with  respect  to  the  Indians,  I 
gave  up  to  him  everything  in  my  charge  be- 
longing to  the  Indian  department,  for  which  I 
received  his  receipt. 

Thursday,  Oct.  27th.— Mr.  Rolette  having, 
since  his  arrival, kept  selling  rum  to  the  troops, 
etc.,  I  was  under  the  necessity  of  putting  up  a 
proclamation  forbidding  the  sale  of  spirituous 
liquors;  for  as  long  as  this  custom  of  allowing 
the  men  to  get  drunk  lasts,  nothing  can  be  done 
about  the  fort.  Mr.  Aird  arrived  in  the  even- 
ing. 

Friday,  Oct.  28th, — Mr.  Aird  brought  news 
that  Lieut.  Graham  was  promoted  to  captain  in 
the  Indian  department,  and  Sergt.  Keating  as  a 
lieutenant  in  the  provincial  volunteer  artillery, 
but  as  this  was  only  verbal,  I  made  no  orders 
on  that  score. 

Saturday, Oct.  29th. — Mr.  Rolette  having  been 
ordered  to  supply  one  of  his  horses  for  fatigue  to- 
day at  thefort,and  refusing  to  obey  the  order. 


180 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


Capt.  Dease  requested  me  to  send  a  guard  for  the 
horse,  which  I  did,  because  Mr.  Rolette  having 
refused,  showed  a  bad  example,  and  prevented 
a  number  of  the  inhabitants  that  were  ordered 
to-day,  from  doing  liieir  duty. 

Sunday,  Oct.  .30th. — In  the  evening  a  party  of 
Renards  from  below,  at  the  Riviere  du  D'Inde,* 
brought  some  deer  meat,  which  they  disposed 
of  in  the  village. 

Monday, Oct.  31st. — Mr.  Aird  having  brought 
with  him  a  keg  of  wine  tapped  it  the  day  after 
his  arrival,  and  was  very  obliging,  it  being  an 
article  not  common  in  this  place,  in  making  al- 
most a  general  business  of  it,  till  there  was  no 
more.  To-day  the  commissary  got  quite  drunk, 
and  was  very  abusive  to  every  person,  no  mat- 
ter who.  A  drunken  man  is  always  annoying 
to  a  sober  one,  and  as  Mr.  Honore  came  into 
ray  house  quite  drunk,  with  an  intention  to  be 
as  abusive  to  me  as  to  others,  I  put  him  out  of 
doors;  and  as  I  had  not  drank  a  drop  of  liquor 
for  some  days,  I  could  not  put  up  with  his 
abuse,  and  sent  for  the  guard  to  take  him  away; 
but  before  the  guard  arrived,  he  was  conveyed 
to  his  quarters. 

Tuesday,  Nov.  1st. — Being  all  Saint's  Day, 
no  work  was  done.  Three  Puants  arrived  from 
Ouisconsin.     No  news. 

Wednesday,  Nov.  2d. — Put  up  an  advertise- 
ment ts  procure  wood  and  candles  for  the  use  of 
the  garrison,  as  the  season  is  advancing  fast. 
Mr.  Honore  persisting  in  his  obstinacy,  I  was 
under  the  necessity  of  depriving  him  of  his  em- 
ployment as  commissary,  for  which  purpose  I 
wrote  him  a  note,  desiring  him  to  deliver  every- 
thing he  had  belonging  to  the  commissary  de- 
partment, and  deliver  it  to  Lieut.  Brisbois. 

Thursday,  Nov.  3d. — Rainy  weather  has 
been  a  great  detriment  to  advancing  the  work 
of  the  fort. 

Friday,  Nov.  4th. — Mr.  Rolette  sent  off  a 
barge  to  get  provisions,  to  accomplish  which,  I 

•Turkey  river,  a  tributary  ol  the  Mississippi,  about  thirty 
miles  below  Prairie  du  Chien,  on  the  Iowa  side  of  the 
stream.  On  Mellish's  map,  of  1816,  a  Renard  of  Fox  village 
is  noted  on  the  upper  side  of  Turltey   river,  at  its  mouth. 


was  obliged  to  let  him  have  six  men  of  the    vol- 
unteers. 

Saturday,  November  5th. — Three  men  of  the 
volunteers  got  permission  to  return  to  their 
homes.  Bought  them  a  canoe  and  gave  them 
rations.  To  conduct  them,  interpreter  Honore 
got  permission,  with  John  Campbell,  to  ac- 
company  them  till  they  meet  Robert  Dickson. 

Sunday,  November  6th.— Nothing  of  conse- 
quence. 

Monday,  November  7tli. — Tried  every  means 
to  purchase  wood  for  the  fort.  Mr.  Rolette 
having  offered  to  take  the  contract  at  the  ex- 
travagant rate  of  twenty  shillings  per  cord  of 
wood  delivered  here,  I  deferred  entering  into 
the  contract  till  I  got  very  particular  informa- 
tion from  every  individual  about  the  place. 

Tuesday,  November  8th. — Got  a  calash  and 
went  out  to  the  farms  to  try  and  get  tlie  wood 
necessary  for  the  fort,  contracted  for  in  small 
quantities,  to  give  an  opportunity  to  every  per- 
son of  gaining  something  during  the  winter  ; 
but  not  finding  any  person  that  would  under- 
take even  a  cord,  1  was  obliged  to  contract  with 
Mr.  Joseph  Rolette  for  300  cords,  at  twenty 
shillings  per  cord. 

Wednesday, November  9ih — Being  ration  day, 
and  the  conductor  having  nothing  but  bustards, 
the  Michigans  did  not  wish  to  take  one  pound 
of  that  meat  for  their  day's  rations.  However, 
as  it  is  good,  wholesome  food,  and  agreeable  to 
Mr.  Rolette's  contract  willi  the  government 
they  were  obliged  to  accept  it. 

Thursday,November  lOth-Xothiiig  new.  Con- 
tinual rain  and  cold. 

Friday,  November  1 1th — .John  Campbell,  who 
went  from  this  place  witli  interpreter  Honore 
to  meet  Mr.  Dickson,  returned,  saying  he  had 
been  to  the  portage,  and  getting  no  news  of  the 
re-inforcement,  therefore  returned. 

Saturday,  November  12th — Violent  rain.  The 
Little  Corbeau  called  a  council  and  meditated 
going  off;  but  Mr.  Dease  and  myself,  thinking 
it  best  that  his  band  should  remain  a  few  days 
longer,  in  case  Mr.  Dickson   should  arrive,  and 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


181 


might  be  wanted,  they  agreed  to  stay,  and  Mr. 
Dease  gave  them  twelve  bushels  of  com  and 
forty  loaves  of  bread. 

Sunday,  November  13th — At  12  o'clock,  three 
men,  of  the  Gena  de  la  Feiiille,  arrived  under 
the  "Buffalo  that  Plays  ;"  they  were  received 
as  secret  enemies,  and  got  no  assistance  from 
us. 

Monday,  November  14th — A  Folle  Avoine 
canoe  arrived  and  told  us  Mr.  Dickson  would 
probably  be  here  in  two  or  three  days. 

Tuesday,  November  15th — A  violent  storm  of 
rain  all  d<ay.     Nothing  new. 

Wednesday,  November  16th-Cold  north  wind. 
Not  able  to  plaster  in  the  fort. 

Thursday,  November  I7th — Continued  very 
cold.  Being  ration  day,  I  ordered  one  and  a 
half  pounds  bustard  meat  be  issued  ;  one  pound 
of  that  meat  not  by  any  means  being  equal  to 
that  quantity  of  venison  or  beef.  Bought  a 
keg  of  high  wines  of  .Mr.  Brisbois,  at  $14  the 
gallon,  so  by  reducing  it  to  be  able  to  give,  in 
this  cold  weather,  a  gill  of  whisky  to  each  man 
on  fatigue,  etc. 

Frida)^,  November  18th — Paid  the  masons  for 
making  two  chimneys,  £49,  16s.,  8d.  At  10 
o'clock  three  Sauk  canoes  arrived,  bearingeach  a 
flag.  They  are  all  in  winter  quarters  at  the 
Riviere  des  Ayouais  ;  that  is  part,  of  three  dif- 
ferent Nations,  Sauks,  Kickapoos  and  Renards. 
They  bring  word  that  the  American  fort,  at  the 
foot  of  the  Riviere  des  Moines  Rapids,  was 
abandoned  about  the  20th  of  October.  The 
Americans  had  burnt  the  fort  and  proceeded 
to  the  Illinois. 

Saturday,  November  19lh — Continual  rain  and 
cold.  A  report  was  spread  that  the  Sauks  had 
turned  against  us,  and  that  those  seventeen 
Sauks  that  arrived  on  the  18th  were  come  with 
an  intention  to  take  away  the  women  from  this 
place.  After  making  every  inquiry,  found  the 
report  to  be  groundless. 

Sunday,  November  20th. — At  10  o'clock  the 
Sauks  called  a  council,  when  they  pressed  very 
hard  to  get  a  trader   to  their  village;    but  wo 


told  them  we  were  not  masters  of  the  traders, 
and,  at  any  rate,  there  was  only  one,  who 
bought  a  few  goods  merely  to  support  the 
troops  of  this  post ;  but  I  was  in  daily  expecta- 
tion of  seeing  their  Fatlier,  when  no  doubt  they 
would  receive  ample  support  for  the  winter. 
But  in  the  event  of  their  Father's  not  coming, 
I  would  even  go  so  far  as  to  take  powder  from 
the  big  guns,  to  assist  them. 

Monday,  November  21st. — Last  evening  the 
Feuille,  with  twenty-one  of  his  3-oung  men,  ar- 
rived, in  hopes  of  seeing  Mr.  Dickson.  This 
evening  twenty  of  the  Gens  de  la  Feuilles  ar- 
rived— bad  Indians,   rather  American  inclined. 

Tuesday,  Nov.  22d. — Called  a  council  of  all 
the  Indians  and  whites  here,  wherein  I  told  the 
traders  to  sell  no  powder  to  the  Gens  de  la 
Feuilles;  that  in  the  event  of  Mr.  Dickson's  not 
coming,  we  should  want  all  the  powder  the 
traders  had,  to  furnish  a  little  to  our  allies.  The 
Feuille  and  Little  Corbeau  both  spoke  and  ap- 
proved of  what  I  had  done,  and  abused  the 
Gens  de  la  Feuilles  very  much  for  their  bad 
conduct  in  adhering  to  the  Americans. 

Wednesday,  iJov.  23d. — The  I^ittle  Corbeau 
called  a  council  of  all  the  Sauks,  Kickapoos 
and  Renards  present,  and  gave  them  a  pipe, 
assuring  them  of  his  friendship  towards  them, 
and  his  determination  to  support  them  in  the 
war  against  the  Americans. 

capt.  andersox's  military  orders. 

Fort  McKay,  1814. 

In  case  of  an  alarm,  two  shots  will  be  fired 
from  the  six-pounder,  when  every  man,  the 
militia  not  excepted,  will  immediately  repair 
to  the  garrison. 

When  any  Bri-tish  flag  arrives,  or  leaves  this 
post,  a  swivel  will  be  fired  to  salute  such  flag, 
unless  otherwise  ordered  by  the  commanding 
officer. 

August  1 1th.— Ordered  that  an  interpreter  and 
twelve  of  the  volunteers  go  off  early  to-morrow 
morning,  in  order  to  bring  up  the  barges  that 
went  adrift  from  this  place,  and,  according  to 
Indian  reports,  are  lying  on  sand-banks  a  few 


182 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


leagues  below.  Seven  men  of  the  Michigan 
fencibles,  with  the  artillery  men,  take  lessons 
at  the  cannon  daily,  that  is,  immediately  after 
parade,  at  6  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  before 
parade  in  the  evening.  Three  of  the  Michigans 
will  be  daily  employed  in  making  leaden  balls 
for  the  guns  and  swivels.  One  of  the  officers, 
taken  from  the  roster,  with  three  interpreters, 
militia,  or  privates  will  do  patrol  duty  every 
night.  The  patrol  will  be  appointed  by  the 
officer  of  the  day,  and  will  walk  around  the 
village  every  two  hours  during  the  night,  and 
will  take  up  any  stragglers  that  may  be  going 
about  after  —  o'clock,  n)  matter  who  or  what 
he  may  be,  unless  he  can  give  the  countersign. 

A  countersign  is  to  be  given  every  night,  by 
the  commanding  officer,  to  such  officers  as  he 
may  think  necessary,  and  to  the  officer  of  patrol, 
and  sergeant  of  the  guard.  Any  officer  or  pri- 
vate, to  whom  the  commanding  officer  may  give 
the  countersign,  on  being  convicted  of  having 
divulged  it  to  any  person  whatever,  will  be  im- 
mediately put  in  close  confinement,  and  kept 
there  till  an  opportunity  offers  to  send  him  into 
Mackinaw  for  his  trial,  as  the  enormity  of  the 
crime  would  be  out  of  the  reach  of  any  court- 
martial  that  can  be  iield  here  for  the  present. 

August  12th. — No  Indian,  man,  woman  or 
child,  will  be  allowed  to  enter  the  fort  without 
orders  from  the  commanditig  officer.  This  is 
ordeied  in  consequence  of  there  being,  among 
the  Renards  particularly,  many  Indians  who  are 
bad  subjects,  and  cannot  be  distinguished  by 
some  of  the  officers  of  the  day. 

August  13th. — ^The  absolute  necessity  of  lend- 
ing every  assistance  to  save  the  harvest,  makes 
it  absolutely  requsite  to  allow  the  farmers  to 
keep  it  their  work,  and  not  to  assemble,  as 
ordered,  to-morrow  at  10  o'clock;  but  they  will 
make  it  a  point  to  appear  under  arms  every 
Sunday  after  this,  at  10  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
before  the  fort  door,  unless  some  urgency  may 
require  it  to  be  otherwise  ordered. 

August  Hth. — Lieut.  Brisbois  having  brought 
word  that  a  fine  large  American   boat,  covered 


as  a  gun-boat,  was  lying  a  little  above  Fort  Mad- 
ison, on  the  shore  quite  near  the  water,  ordered 
that  Lieut.  Graham,  with  one  interpreter 
and  si.x  men,  go  for  the  barge.  When  they 
reach  the  Rock  river,  or  at  any  time  during  the 
voyage,  if  Lieut.  Graham  gets  any  certain  news 
of  the  enemy's  approach,  he  will  either  come 
back  himself  with  the  men,  or  send  back,  as  he 
finds  most  requisite.  When  he  gets  to  the  Rock 
river,  he  will  give  a  carrot  of  tobacco  to  the 
chiefs,  soldiers  and  braves,  and  request  of  them, 
as  many  as  he  thinks  fit  to  go  with  him,  not 
only  to  assist  in  bringing  up  the  barge,  but  to 
guard  him  against  any  of  the  Sauks,  etc.,  that 
may  be  ill-disposed,  from  the  Missouri;  and  if 
he  can  prevail  on  the  Indians  to  assist  him  in 
bringing  the  barge  up  here,  they  shall  be  well 
paid  when  the  re-inforcement  arrives  from 
Mackinaw;  otherwise  to  try  and  run  her  up  into 
the  Rock  river,  that  I  can  send  for  her  from 
here.  In  case  he  can  find  no  means  of  getting 
her  up,  he  will  set  fire  to  and  burn  her,  to  pre- 
vent her  falling  into  the  enemy's  hands. 

August  15th. — Orde-ed  tliat  a  fatigue  l)arty 
will,  to-morrow,  if  the  weather  will  permit,  be 
employed  in  repairing  a  small  breast-work  at  the 
lo«^er  end,  and  one  at  the  upper  end  of  the  vil- 
lage ;  and  that  carpenters  be  employed  in 
mounting  a  half-pound  swivel. 

August  16th. — -The  patrol  will  be  suspended 
for  the  present,  as  a  jiarty  has  gone  down  be- 
low, and  will  keep  directly  in  the  enemy's  way; 
but  the  principal  object  of  this  is,  to  afford  ev- 
ery means  possible  to  assist  in  getting  in  the 
harvest.  We  have  only  a  very  short  allowance 
of  flour,  three  barrels  remaining.  To-morrow 
the  artificers  will  be  employed  in  widening  the 
passage  through  the  fort,  in  order  to  run  out 
the  guns  on  three  field  carriages. 

August  I7th. — The  artificers  will  comiuence, 
to-morrow,  making  scaffolds  for  the  sentries,  to 
elevate  them  above  the  pickets.  Ordered  that 
the  voulunteers,  when  on  guard,  if  they  are  not 
attentive  to  their  duties,  as  sentries  ought  to  be, 


%^/^>Zrtyi^ 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


185 


shall  be  assigned  to  the  same  duty  the  next  day, 
and  so  continue  till  they  are  attentive. 

August  18th. — To-morrow  morning  at  6 
o'clock,  a  party  of  officers  and  interpreters  are 
to  begin  and  practice  the  use  of  the  three-pound- 
er, commencing  at  6  o'clock,  until  otherwise  or- 
dered, the  exercise  to  be  of  two  hours  duration 
daily. 

August  19th. — Ordered,  that  the  commissary 
take  every  means  to  get  in  flour  as  fast  as  possi- 
ble. As  there  are  no  articles  in  the  store,  that 
will  answer  the  inhabitants  in  exchange  for 
their  flour,  he  will  give  orders  on  Michael 
Brisbois,  Sr.,  for  any  flour  he  may  purchase,  till 
further  orders. 

August  20th. — Having  the  other  three-pound- 
er mounted,  it  is  ordered  thatti^ie  two  guns  drill 
in  brigade,  twice  every  day,  Sunday  excepted, 
and  to  practice  sham  battles.  The  bombardier 
will  be  active  in  getting  all  the  guns  and  swiv- 
els in  the  highest  order,  as  expeditiously  as  pos- 
sible. 

August  2 1st. — Ordered  that  black-smiths  be 
employed  to  do  such  work  as  is  necessary  about 
the  guns. 

August  22d. — Ordered,  that  all  accounts,  of 
flour  and  other  articles  borrowed,  be  settled,  or 
made  out,  by  the  25th  inst. 

August  2-3d. — Ordered,  that  as  Chesier,  the 
black-sinilh,  is  idle,  and  does  not  work  as  be 
ought  to  do,  another  black-smith  be  employed, 
and  having  no  tools,  will  make  use  of  Chesier's 
shop,  etc.,  till  the  work  necessary  about  the 
guns  be  finished. 

August  24th. — Ordered,  that  two  lieutanants 
of  the  Indian  department,  namely,  I,ieul.  Gra- 
ham and  Lieut.  Brisbois,  and  three  interpreters, 
Augustin  Rock,  I.  B.  Guillroy,  Francois  Bou- 
clire  (lit  La  Malice,  with  Bombardier  Keating, 
eight  Michigan  fencibles,  and  sixteen  of  the 
volunteers,  with  a  brass  three-pounder,  and 
two  swivels  in  the  gun-boat,  and  a  barge,  be  all 
ready  to  march  the  27th  inst.,  on  an  expedition 
against  the  Americans,  in  order  to  meet  them 
on  their  way  up  here  at  the  Rock  river,  and  as- 


sist the  Sauk  Nation  of  Indians  in  the  preserva- 
tion of  their  wives  and  children. 

Lieut.  Graham  will  take  the  command.  The 
commissary  will  issue  fifteen  days  full  rations 
of  pork,  and  five  days  full  rations  of  flour.  In- 
terpreter Renville  will  leave  this  place  early  to- 
morrow morning,  and  proceed  with  all  haste  to 
the  chief  of  the  Feuilles,  and  inform  him  of  the 
expedition  going  below,  and  tell  him  that  I  re- 
quest he  will  come  down  immediately,  with  as 
many  of  his  young  men  as  he  can  possibly 
spare,  and  go  down  and  assist  the  Sauks;  and  at 
the  same  time  to  tell  him  to  send  word  to  the 
Little  Corbeau,  etc.,  to  move  this  way  immedi- 
ately; but  to  remain  about  the  Prairie  a  La 
Crosse,  till  further  orders,  and  as  soon  as  the 
Little  Corbeau  arrives  there,  he  will  send  word 
and  let  me  know,  and  Mr.  Renville  will  return 
here  as  soon  as  possible. 

August  25th. — Ordered,  that  the  Sauk  chief, 
Thomas,  leave  this  place  to-morrow  morning, 
for  the  Sauks  at  Rock  river,  to  inform  them, 
that  an  expedition  will  leave  here  on  the  27th, 
for  that  place.  Lieut.  Graham  will  have  every- 
thing ready  to  march  at  8  o'clock  on  that  day. 
The  men  in  general,  going  on  the  expedition 
below,  are  destitute  of  shirts.  It  is,  therefore, 
ordered,  that  the  commanding  officers  will  give 
to  such  as  he  finds  in  absolute  want,  an  order 
on  Mr.  Brisbois,  to  furnish  them  such  necessities, 
and  it  will  be  deducted  from  their  pay,  when 
they  are  paid. 

Aug.  26th. — Ordered,  that  the  commissary  aug 
meiit  the  rations  for  the  expedition  going  below, 
giving  each  man  ten -ounces  of  pork,  and  one 
and  a  half  pounds  of  flour.  Those  that  remain 
here,  will  have  six  ounces  of  pork,  and  two 
pounds  of  flour. 

Aug.    27th. — Ordered  that do   the 

duty  of  interpreter,  from  this  date,  till  further 
orders,  and  that  he  receive  the  pay  and  allow- 
ances that  other  interpreters  do.  The  Sioux 
and  Renards  will  leave  this  place  to-morrow 
morning,  to  go  and  join  the  e.xi)cdition  to  the 
Rock  river.     The  commissary  will   furnish  the 


12 


186 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


Sioux  six  bushels  of  wheat,  and  the  Renards 
four,  for  their  provisions,  till  they  reach  the 
Sauks. 

Aug.  28th. — Ordered  that  Capt.  Grignon  pre- 
pare himself  to  leave  this  place,  to-raonow  morn- 
ing at  10,  for  Mackinaw,  with  dispatches,  and 
that  an  interpreter  go,  expressly  to  notify  the 
Little  Corbeau's  band  that  the  enemy  are  coming 
up,  and  direct  him  to  camp  somewhere  about 
the  Prairie  a  La  Crosse,  till  further  orders.  The 
militia  having  been  ordered  to  parade  at  10 
o'clock  this  morning,  many  of  them  came  with- 
out guns,  and  some  of  them  did  not  come  at  all. 
It  is,  therefore,  ordered  that  when  in  future 
the  militia  are  called  out,  if  they  do  not  all  ap- 
pear at  the  hour  appointed,  with  their  arms, 
those  disobeying  such  orders  shall  be  liable  to 
a  fine  of  fifteen  dollars,  to  be  levied  on  their 
goods  and  chattels,  otherwise  to  be  confined  in 
the  guard  house,  during  the  commanding  offi- 
cer's pleasure. 

Aug.  29th. — Ordered  that,  as  Capt.  Grignon 
is  now  gone,  and  no  officer  of  the  bay  volunteers 
here,  what  few  of  his  company  remain  be  in- 
cluded in  Capt.  Anderson's  company,  till  fur- 
ther orders. 

Aug.  30th. — That  two  men  be  employed  saw- 
ing boards  and  planks  for  the  use  of  the  garri- 
son. 

Aug.  .31st. — Ordered  that  interpreter  Frenier, 
with  three  mei),  set  off  to-morrow  morning,  to 
go  and  inform  the  Little  Corbeau,  as  mentioned 
in  orders  of  the  28th  inst.,  lest  the  express  the 
Feuille  sent  should  fail. 

Sept.  1st. — Ordered  that  the  commissary  tell 
the  inhabitants,  if  they  do  not  be  more  active  in 
making  flour  for  the  use  of  the  troops,  that  men 
will  be  placed  in  their  barns  and  mills  by  the 
commanding  officer  to  thrash  and  grind  their 
wheat,  for  the  use  of  the  garrison.  That  the 
men  so  employed  will  be  paid  from  the  produce 
of  their  flour,  and  for  the  balance  the  govern- 
ment will  be  accountable  to  the  different  indi- 
vidual owners. 


Sept.  2d. — Ordered,  that  interpreter  Grignon 
leave  this  place  to-morrow  morning  with  four 
men  to  take  flour  to  the  detachment  gone  to  the 
Rock  river. 

Sept.  3d. — Ordered,  that  the  commissary  ex- 
change with  the  inhabitants,  as  often  as  the 
opportunity  may  oflier,  whisky  for  flour  or  wheat, 
till  further  orders. 

Sept.  4th. — Ordered,  that  no  person  be  allowed 
to  go  into  the  fort,  except  those  accustomed  to 
do  duty,  without  the  permission  of  the  officer  of 
the  day. 

Sept.  5th. — Ordered,  that  a  mare  and  colt, 
belonging  to  one  Fontaine,  a  Canadian,  who  left 
here  three  years  ago,  and  ever  since  has  resided 
in  Illinois,  be  taken  and  broken  in,  for  the  use 
of  the  garrison. 

Sept.  6th. — Ordered,  that  the  fort  gate  be 
shut  every  evening  at  8  o'clock ;  and  the  guards 
be  changed  at  7  o'clock  in  the  morning,  till  fur- 
ther orders. 

Sept.  Tth. — Ordered,  that  the  four  Sauks,  who 
brought  letters  from  Lieut.  Graham,  leave  this 
place  to-morrow  morning,  to  return  to  the  Rock 
river. 

Sept.  14th. — Ordered,  that  a  barge  leave  this 
place  under  interpreter  Rock's  command,  with 
eight  volunteers,  and  the  three  men  that  came 
in  the  wooden  canoe  from  the  portage,  to  go 
and  bring  the  ordnance  stores,  etc.  Also,  that 
Lance  Corporal  Heywood  be  attaclied  to  the 
guns,  under  Sergt.  Keating,  aud  tlial  the  officers 
and  men,  from  the  detachment  to  the  Rock 
river,  return  to  their  duty  in  the  garrison,  as 
usual. 

Sept.  18th. — Ordered,  that  the  Michigan  fenci- 
bles,  and  Lance  Corporal  Haywood,  of  the  10th 
Volunteer  band,  with  ten  volunteers  and  seven 
militia,  will  be  attached  to  the  guns,  and  be 
drilled  daily,  and  now  and  then  practice  firing, 
under  Sergt.  Keating,  of  the  Royal  artillery.  A 
sufficient  number  of  men  will  be  selected  from 
the  volunteers  and  militia,  as  mentioned  above, 
to   man  the   six-pounder,   and    the   two   three- 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


IS"? 


pounders.  Such  men  will  be  exempt  from  other 
duty  till  otherwise  ordered. 

Ordered,  that  eight  of  the  volunteers,  in- 
cluding one  sergeant  and  one  corporal,  mount 
guard  daily;  that  the  guards  be  relieved  at 
7  o'clock  every  morning.  That  the  guards 
take  up  their  quarters,  in  the  garrison,  for 
the  time  being,  and  not  absent  themselves, 
on  any  pretense,  wathout  the  permission  of 
the  officer  of  the  day,  whose  business  it  will 
be  to  attend  when  the  guards  are  relieved 
and  see  that  all  the  men  are  as  clean  as 
circumstances  will  admit  of  ;  and  see  that  they 
have  on  them  a  cartouchbox  and  bayonet,  that 
their  guns  are  in  good  order,and  that  the  sentries 
are  regularly  relieved  by  the  corporal. 

Ordered,  that  carpenters  be  employed,  and  a 
party  of  the  volunteers,  when  not  otherwise 
on  duty,  together  with  a  party  of  militia,  be 
kept  on  fatigue,  in  order  to  repair  the  fort. 
Wlien  any  of  the  inhabitants  or  militia  are  or- 
dered with  a  team  of  horses  or  oxen,  a  reasona- 
ble allowance  will  be  made  them  for  such  team. 
The  militia,  when  on  fatigue  (provisions  being 
scarce),  will  furnish  themselves  with  food,  for 
which  an  e(|uiva1ent  in  pay  will  be  made  them. 
All  men  on  actual  duty  will  I'eceive  one  gill  of 
whisky  per  day,  till  otherwise  ordered. 

Lieut.  Porlior,  of  the  volunteers,  and  Lieuts. 
Graham  and  Brisbois  of  the  Indian  department, 
will  each  in  turn,  do  the  duty  of  officer  of  the 
day,  having  an  eye  on  the  garrison  in  general, 
keeping  everything  in  order,  and  reporting  to 
the  commanding  officer,  the  state  of  the  new 
guards  when  mounted,  as  well  as  every  other 
material  circumstance  coming  to  his  knowledge. 

Sept.  19th. — Ordered,  that  the  men  drilling  at 
the  guns,  under  Sergt.  Keating  of  the  Royal  artil- 
lery, be  all  present,  at  the  hours  of  7  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  and  .3  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  ; 
and  should  any  be  absent,  Sergt.  Keating  will 
report  them  to  the  offiier  of  the  day,  who  will 
report  them  to  the  commanding  officer. 

Ordered,  that  the  commissarj'  attend  at  7 
o'clock  every  morning  at  the  fort,  to  issue  ra- 


tions   of    whisky,   agreeable    to   a   requisition 
signed  by  the  officer  of  the  day. 

Sept.  23d. — Ordered  that  four  shots  be  fired 
from  each  of  the  three  guns,  every  Sunday,  till 
otherwise  ordered.  A  target  will  be  placed  in 
a  convenie'it  place  to  prevent  any  accident,  and 
at  the  same  time  so  placed  as  to  be  able  to  re- 
cover the  round  shot. 

Sept.  '26th — Ordered,  that  a  court  of  inquiry 
be  held  in  Fort  McKay,  at  10  o'clock  this 
morning,  to  inquire  into  the  conduct  of  Pierre 
Emerie,  of  the  volunteers,  and  Solomon  Demai- 
raix,  of  the  Michigans,  both  privates,  who  were 
confined  in  the  guard  house  yesterday,  for  diso- 
bedience of  orders.  Also  to  examine  Pierre 
Kennet  and  Pierre  Grignon,  Jr.,  both  privates 
in  the  volunteers,  for  quarreling  and  fighting 
while  on  guard  this  morning.  The  court  to 
consist  of  Lieuts.  Graham  and  Brisbois,  of  the 
Indian  department,  and  Lieut.  Porlier  of  the 
volunteers,   Lieut.  Graham  to  be  president. 

Ordered,  that  no  whisky  be  exchanged  for 
any  other  article;  but  what  whisky  now  remains 
will  be  kept  for  the  use  of  the  guards  and  fa- 
tigue parties,  unless  the  commissary  may  re- 
ceive other  orders  from  the  commanding  officer. 

The  court  of  inquiry  finding  that  Demairaix, 
of  the  Michigans  and  Kennet  and  Grignon  of 
the  volunteers,  who  had  been  confined,  were 
not  guilty  of  a  crime  to  merit  punishment,  they 
are  therefore  released  from  the  guard-house. 
But  Pierre  Emerie,  of  the  volunteers,  acknowl- 
edging his  crime,  a  court  martial  is  ordered  to 
be  held  to-morrow  morning  at  10  o'clock  for  his 
trial.  The  court  to  consist  of  Lieut  Graham, 
of  the  Indian  department,  president,  and  Lieut. 
Brisbois  of  the  Indian  department,  and  Lieut. 
Porlier,  of  the  volunteers,  members. 

Sept.  28th. — A  court  martial,  for  the  trial  of 
Pierre  Emerie,  of  the  volunteers,  having  been 
held  this  day,  of  which  Lieut.  Graham  was 
president,  and  Lieuts.  Brisbois  and  Porlier, 
members,  where  he,  the  said  Emerie,  was  found 
guilty  of  disobedience  of  orders,  in  refusing  to 
mount  guard.     The  court  condemned  the  pris- 


188 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


oner  to  be  sent  in  irons  to  Macliinaw,to  lose  bis 
pay  for  tbe  time  of  his  service,  and  to  lose  bis 
share  of  tlie  prize  money  taken  in  tlie  capitu- 
lation of  Fort  McKay.  But  being  recommended 
to  the  clemency  of  tbe  commanding  officer, 
and  tbe  court  being  of  the  opinion  that  bis  dis- 
obeying orders  proceeded  more  through  igno- 
rance, than  a  wish  to  be  mutinous,  the  com- 
manding officer,  therefore,  orders,  that  be  be 
released  from  confinement,  and  immediately 
return  to  bis  duty. 

October,,lst. — Ordered,  that  on  Monday  next, 
every  man  not  on  guard,  etc.,  be  employed  on 
fatigue,  to  finish  as  soon  as  possible,  tbe  re- 
pairing of  the  fort.  Also  that  a  court  of  inquiry 
be  held  on  Monday  next  at  12  o'clock  to  exam- 
ine into  the  crimes,  for  which  Pierre  Vasseur 
and  Jacques  Hebert,  of  tbe  Micbigans,  were 
confined  this  morning,  Lieut.  Duncan  Graham 
to  be  president,  and  Lieuts.  Brisbois  and  Por- 
lier,  members. 

Oct.  3d. — Ordered,  from  to-morrow  morning, 
only  half  rations  of  liquor  will  be  issued  to  tbe 
troof)s. 

Oct.  Vtb.  Ordered,  that  Pierre  "Vasseur  and 
Jacques  Hebert,  both  privates  in  the  Michigan 
fencibles,  be  released  from  the  guard-house, 
and  both  confined  to  tbe  square  at  hard  labor, 
tbe  former  for  eight  days,  and  tbe  latter  for  six 
from  this  date.  And  that  Pierre  Provancall,  of 
the  volunteers,  who  was  confined  for  having  al- 
lowed the  above  mentioned  Michigan  fencibles 
to  go  out  of  the  garrison  at  night  without  leave, 
be  released  from  the  guardhouse,  and  confined 
to  hard  labor  in  the  square  for  four  days,  after 
which,  all  shall  return  to  their  duty,  as  soon  as 
their  respective  terms  of  bard  labor  have  ex- 
pired. 

Oct.  8th. — Ordered,  that  one  day's  rations  be 
issued  as  usual  to  the  troops,  and  one  of  hulled 
Indian  corn;  that  is,  every  other  day  one  quart 
of  corn  be  issued,  in  place  of  pork  and  flour,  till 
further  orders. 

Oct.  11th — Ordered,  thatLient.  Graham, with 
interpreter  Berthe,   and  five   men,    namely,  E. 


Piche,  Bourdon,  Langlos,  La  Honde  and  Le 
Mire,  leave  this  place  to-morrow  morning  with 
dispatches  for  Mackinaw,tobe  delivered  to  Lieut. 
Grignon  at  Green  Bay,  from  whence  they  will 
return  here  immediately. 

Ordered,  tbnt  there  will  be  no  more  practic- 
ing witli  the  guns  at  a  target,till  further  orders. 

Oct.  15tb. — Ordered,  that  an  ox  be  bought 
and  that  four  day's  rations  be  issued  at  a  time, 
that  is,  one  pound  of  beef,  and  two  pouiids  of 
flour,  for  one  day,  and  one  quart  of  corn  for  the 
second  day,  and  so  on  alternately. 

Oct.  18th. — Ordered,  that  at  4  o'clock  this 
afternoon,  a  royal  salute  be  fired,  and  that  all 
the  troops  and  Indians  be  present.  Immedi- 
ately after  which,  a  council  will  be  held  to  in- 
form the  troops  and  Indians  tbe  news  from 
Mackinaw* 

Oct.  20th. —  Ordered,  that  the  troops  be  mus- 
tered, on  the  24th  inst.,  at  10  o'clock  in  the 
morning;  and  on  tbe  25th,  as  Mr.  Rolette  has 
offered  to  furnish  money  for  that  purpose,  they 
will  be  paid  up  to  the  24th. 

Oct.  21st. — Ordered,  that  Lieut.  Brisbois,  of 
the  Indian  department,  act  as  overseer  of  the 
workmen  at  the  fort,  for  which  be  shall  be  en- 
titled to  receive  an  additional  allowance  of  pay, 
until  further  orders,  of  five  shillings  per  day. 

November  3d. — Ordered,  that  Mr.  Honore, 
lately  acting  commissary,  for  which  he  re- 
ceived tbe  pay  of  a  lieutenant  in  tbe  volun- 
teers, be  suspended  from  that  duty  and  pay  till 
further  orders.  This  is  ordered,  from  bis  hav- 
ing, when  drunk,  made  use  of  most  disre- 
spectful and  abusive  language  to  the  command- 
ing officer,  in  defiance  of  all  military  order  and 
discipline. 

Ordered,  that  Lieut.  Brisbois,  of  tlie  Indian 
department,  receive  to-morrow  morning  of  Mr. 
Honore,  all  the  accounts  and  .stores  lately  in 
his  charge  as  commissary,  till  further  orders. 


*This  probably  refers  to  the  repulse  of  the  Americans  in 
their  attack  on  that  place,  under  Majs.  Croirhan  and 
Holmes,  Aug-.  41h,  1814,  and  the  subsequent  capture  of  two 
American  vessels  enfrag:ed  in  blockading' Mackinaw,  as  men- 
tioned in  Lient.  Col.  McDouall's  letter  to  Capt.  Anderson, 
Sept.  a3d,  1814. 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


180 


Nov.  0th — Ordered,  that  the  militia  be  ex- 
empt from  appearing  in  parade  in  future  on 
Sundaj's,  till  further  orders. 

Nov.  I2th.— Ordered,  that  no  more  drilling 
l)e  practiced  for  the  present,  because  the  men 
are  continually  on  fatigue,  and  the  rainy  season 
has  made  the  parade-groun  d  too  muddy. 

Nov.  17th. — Ordered,  that  a  keg  of  high 
wines  be  bought,  and  that  the  acting  commis- 
sary issue  to  each  man  on  actual  duty  one  gill 
of  liquor,  till  further  orders.  Also,  as  bustard 
meat  is  not  equal  in  bulk  or  sustenance  to  oilier 
meat,  that  one  and  a  half  pounds  of  that  meat 
must  be  issued  per  ration,  till  further  orders. 

Nov.  ^Sth. — Ordered,  that  the  troops  at- 
tached to  this  garrison,  when  not  on  duty  may, 
witli  the  permission  of  the  officers  of  their  re- 
s[>eclive  corps,  be  allowed  to  work  for  the  in- 
habitants of  this  post,  till  further  orders. 

PRAIRIE   DU  CHIEN  DOCUMENTS,  1814-1.5. 

List  of  Canadian  voyageurs  who  volunteered 
llieir  services,  at  Mackinaw,  June  21,  1814,  to 
go  to  Prairie  du  Cliien,  on  an  expedition  against 
the  xVniericans. 

Joseph  Rolette,  Thomas  G.  Anderson,  Joseph 
Polvin,  Benjamin  Roy,  Ed.  Picke,  (lit  W.  G. 
Stursman,  Barnabe  Sans  Soisi,  S.  St.  Germain, 
Pierre  Grignon,  Pierre  Lambert,  Jacques  Sav- 
ard,  Jean  B.  Snyer.  Pierre  Gauslin,  Etienne 
Dyon,  Ant.  Gauthern,  Amable  Tourpin,  Jacques 
Lemire,  John  Campbell,  Ant.  Asselin,  P.  Prov- 
ancall,  Jean  B.  Emerie,  Baptiste  Berthe,  An- 
toine  Bercier,  Louis  Provancall,  Francois  La 
Chappelle,  Gabriel  La  Londe,  Jean  M.  Duch- 
arme,  J.  15.  Faribault,  J.  B.  Parant,  Gabriel 
Danie,  Louis  Bourdon,  Etienne  Serare,  Joseph 
Ouitelle,  Luke  Dubois,  Francois  S<.  Maurice,  L. 
Dejrne,  Sol.  Bellangc,  Louis  Desognier,  Fran- 
cois Frenere,  Emanuel  Ranger,  Joseph  Filion, 
Henry  Fleure,  Colin  Campbell,  Alexis  Larose, 
Amable  Gervais,  Jean  B.  Bouchard,  Francois 
Hoivin,  Jacques  Laurent,  Michael  Gravelle, 
Pierre  Emerie,  Colish  Veaux,  Antoine  Felix, 
St.  1>.  Philip,  Joseph  Dagenais,  Joseph  Minette, 
Prudent  Langlois,  Pierre  Crocbier,  Amable  J. 


Durans,  Antoine  Dabin,  Louis  Genereux,  An- 
toine Asselin,  Jean  Tivierge,  Joseph  Tivierge, 
Pierre  Robedeau, Joseph  Dechan,  Louis  Iloiiore, 
Jacques  Joseph  Porlier. 

The  under  named  men  were  here  present,  or 
on  command  the  24th  of  August,  1814: 

Bombardier,   Royal    artillery.   James   Keat- 
ing. 

Michigan  Fencibles.  Sergeant:  Francis  Roy. 
Corporal:  Noel  Bondvielle. 
Privates:  Michael  Donais,  Louis  Vasseur,  Solo- 
mon Demairaix,  Joseph  Lariviere,  Jacques  Pari- 
siens,  Oliver  Degerdin,  Jacques  Hebert,  La- 
cenne  Dupuis,  Francois  Supernant.  Pierre 
From. 

Canadian    Volunteers  from  Mac/iinaw.     Ser- 
geants: Amable  Dusang,  Henry  Fleurie. 

Corporals:  Antoine  Dabins,  Jean  B.  Emerie, 
Privates:  Manuelle  Pichi,  Seraphin  St.  Ger- 
main, Pierre  Lambert,  Jacques  Savard,  Jean  B. 
Loyer,  Jacques  Lamire,  John  Campbell,  Antoine 
Asselin,  Baptiste  Berthe,  Antoine  Bercier, 
Louis  Provancall,  Francois  La  Cliapelle,  Gabriel 
or  William  Lalonde,  Jean  M.  Ducharme,  Louis 
Bourdon,  Etienne  Serare,  Luke  Dubois,  Fran- 
cois St.  Maurice,  Louis  Dagenais,  Solomon  Bel- 
lange,  Louis  Desognier,  Emanuel  Range,  Joseph 
Filion,  Colin  Campbell,  Amable  Gervais,  Jean 
M.  Bouchard,  Francis  Boivin,  Jacques  Laurent, 
Michael  Gravelle,  Pierre  Emerie,  Antoine  Felix, 
Joseph  Dagenais,.  Joseph  Minette,  Prudent 
Langlois,  Pierre  Crochier,  Louis  Genereaux, 
Jean  Tivierge,  Joseph  Tivierge,  Pierre  Robi- 
deau,  Joseph  Dechampes. 

Pierre  Kennet,  a  man  that  volunteered  his 
services  for  his  country  on  the  2d  of  August, 
1814,  at  this  place,  is  not  included  in  the  list 
sent  to  Mackinaw. 

Canadian  Volmite&s  from  the  Bay.  Sar- 
geant:  Laurent  Filey. 

Corporal:  Amable  Grignon. 

Privates:  Joseph  Courvalle,  Labonne  Dorion, 
Alexis  Crochier,  .Joseph  Deiieau,  Narcis.-e  De- 
laune,  Pierre  Chalifou,  Jean  B.  Latouch,  Pierre 


190 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


L'Allement,    Etienne    Bantiere,    Francis    Fren- 
iere,  Pierre  Grignon,  Jr.,  Pierre  Ocliu. 

Note  of  officers,  etc.,  here  present,  or  on 
command,  the  24th  of  August,  1814. 

Captain:  Thomas  G.  Anderson,  Com'd'g  the 
volunteers. 

Lieutenants:  Pierre  Grignon,  Sr.,  Joseph 
Jacques  Porlier. 

Indian  Department.  Lieutenants:  Duncan 
Graham,  Michael  Brisbois. 

Interpreter:  Louis  Honore,  Acting  Commis- 
sary. 

Lieutenants:  Joseph  Renville,  Jean  B.  Guill- 
roy,  Pierre  Grignon,  Jr.,  Joseph  Rock,  Sr., 
Augustin  Rock,  Jr.,  Francois  Bouche. 

Captain:  Francis  Dease,  Prairie  du  Chien 
militia. 

,     The  above  is  a  correct  statement  of  the  forces 
in  Fort  McKay,  on  the  24th  of   August,  1814. 
Thos.  G.  Andekson,  Capt.  Com'd'g. 
Fort  McKay,  Sept.  18,  1814. 

[Endorsed  on  the  back  of  the  paper:  ] 
Paul  L'Allement, 
Claude  Laframboise, 
Michael  Armaed. 
Michillimackinac,  23d  Sept.,  1814. 
To  Captain  Anderson: 

Sir: — I  have  had  the  honor  of  receiving  your 
letter  of  the  29th  ult.,  by  Capt.  Grignon,  com- 
municating the  information  of  the  enemy's 
indicating  an  intention  of  ^.ttacking  your  post. 
I,  however,  am  inclined  to  believe  that  their 
object  for  the  present  is  confined  to  revenging 
themselves  on  the  Sauks  by  an  attempt  to  de- 
stroy iheir  corn  fields  and  villages,  and  I  am 
sanguine  in  my  hopes,  from  the  formidable  body 
of  Indians  assembled  at  the  Rock  river,  that  it 
will  be  completely  frustrated  and  punished,  as 
it  ought. 

I  greatly  approve  of  your  having  sent  a  de- 
tachment down  the  river  in  aid  of  the  Indian 
force.  I  am  convinced,  it  is  the  best  mode  of 
defending  your  post;  and  you  cannot  exert 
yourself  too  much  in  encouraging  the  Sauks, 
and  affording  them  every  assistance  that  is  in 


your  power  to  give.  By  that  means  you  keep 
the  war  at  a  distance;  and  if  the  proper  spirit 
is  cherished  and  kept  up  amongst  the  Indians, 
I  flatter  myself  the  enemy  will  not  be  able  to 
force  such  a  formidable  barrier.  I  fear  it  will 
be  difficult  to  preserve  unanimity,  and  that  cor- 
dial co-operation  with  each  other  which  is  so 
necessary,  and  yet  so  hard  to  bring  about, 
where  they  are  numerous.  You  will,  of  course, 
see  the  necessity  of  making  this  your  constant 
study.  The  ammunition  sent  by  Corpl.  Hey- 
wood  will  arrive  very  opportunely,  and  prove 
for  the  present  a  supply  fully  equal  to  the  de- 
mand; but  unfortunately  we  had  neither  arms 
nor  tobacco  to  accompany  it.  I  am  in  hopes 
we  stall  be  able  very  soon  to  send  supplies  of 
those  articles  with  Mr.  Dickson,  who  remains 
here  until  the  arrival  of  the  Indian  presents, 
which  have  been  delayed  in  consequence  of  the 
attack  and  blockade  of  this  island.  The  latter 
inconvenience  we  happily  got  rid  of,  by  cap- 
turing, with  our  detachment  of  seamen,  assisted 
by  soldiers  from  the  garrison,  both  the  vessels 
which  the  enemy  left  for  that  purpose;  for  us  a 
very  fortunate  event,  which,  I  trust,  will  enable 
us  to  not  only  receive  our  Indian  goods,  but 
an  adequate  supply  of  provisions.  As  I  am  ex- 
pecting a  re-inforcement  in  the  course  of  a  week 
or  ten  days,  in  which,  I  trust,  I  shall  not  be  dis- 
appointed, it  will  then  be  in  my  power  to  de- 
tach an  officer  and  about  thirty  men  to  Fort 
McKay  to  winter. 

You  will  observe  that  it  will  wholly  depend 
on  my  getting  the  men  which  I  wrote  for,  and 
fully  expect.  With  them  I  shall  strain  every 
nerve  to  furnish  you  with  whatever  can  be 
spared  from  this  place,  as  well  as  Indian  sup- 
plies, as  arms,  powder  and  tobacco. 

Mr.  Rolette  has  contracted  to  supply  the  gar- 
rison, to  the  number  of  sixty  men,  with  pro- 
visions for  a  year.  When  more,  for  any  unfore- 
seen emergency,  is  required,  it  must  be  pro- 
vided on  the  best  terms  you  can  procure,  taking 
care  that  you  strictly  conform  to  the  mode 
pointed   out  for   your  guidance   by  Mr.   Asst. 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


191 


Dept.  Com.  Gen.  Monk,  at  this  place;  and  that 
the  utmost  accuracy  is  observed  in  your  certifi- 
cates as  to  the  number  of  men  victualed.  To 
enable  Mr.  Rolette  to  fulfill  his  contract,  you 
will  transfer  to  him  the  salt  now  in  possession, 
in  whatever  way  you  deem  best,  as  you  in  your 
capacity  of  commandant  must  regulate  every- 
thing as  will  most  tend  to  the  good  of  the  ser- 
vice. What  chimneys,  fuel,  or  other  indispen- 
sable articles  may  be  required,  you  will  direct 
to  be  furnished  accordingly,  never  deviating 
from  the  established  rule  of  procuring  every- 
thing at  the  most  reasonable  rate.  Mr.  Rolette 
has  been  advanced  £21)0,  on  account  of  his  con- 
tract, the  terms  of  which  are  sent  you,  and 
which  must  be  scrupulously  adhered  to.  You 
will,  of  course,  ascertain  that  strict  justice  is 
done  to  the  troops;  and  that  the  bills  drawn 
upon  the  commissary  here,  are  in  conformity  to 
the  exact  amount  of  provision  supplied. 

The  dissensions  and  disaffection,  which  you 
mention  as  existing  among  some  of  the  Indians, 
must  ever  be  expected  among  so  many  different 
tribes,  and  where  the  enemy  are  making  contin- 
ual efforts  to  seduce  them.  Our  efforts  must  be 
as  great  to  reclaim  such  as  have  erred;  or  when 
that  cannot  be  effected,  to  take  any  precaution 
to  prevent  their  doing  mischief.  Hut  above  all 
you  must  not  fail  to  pacify  the  murmuring  and 
loyal  part  of  them,  who  faithfully  adhere  to  our 
interest,  by  pointing  out  to  them  the  solid  ad- 
vantages which  cannot  fail  to  result  from  a 
perseverance  in  such  praiseworthy  conduct; 
that  the  numerous  forces  and  fleets  of  their 
Great  Father,  the  King,  are  attacking  the  ene- 
my with  decided  advantage  along  the  whole 
Line  of  their  sea  coast;  that  in  the  Canadas  our 
troops  are  embodied  in  great  numbers;  that  the 
American  army  at  Fort  Erie  is  surrounded  by 
the  British,  with  scarcely  the  (lossihility  of  es- 
caping, and  this  campaign  has  not  only  the  pros- 
pect of  ending  gloriously,  but  the  next  still  more 
so,  there  being  little  doubt  that  Detroit  and 
Amhertsburgh  will  again  fall  into  our  hands. 


You  will  represent  these  particulars  to  them 
from  me,  in  the  most  impressive  manner  you 
can,  telling  them  my  firm  conviction  that  they 
will  oppose  the  most  determined  resistance  to 
the  shameful  encroachments  of  the'enemy,  and 
signalize  themselves  in  defense  of  their  wives 
and  children,  and  of  the  lands  with  which  they 
are  intrusted  from  their  forefathers.  You  may 
assure  them  of  my  doing  everything  in  my  power 
to  support  them  in  so  just  a  cause,  and  that  from 
the  recent  circumstances  of  our  blockade,  I  can- 
not this  season  supply  their  wants  as  I  could 
wish. 

Yet  in  ammunition,  it  will  in  some  measure 
be  made  up,  and  next  year  much  more  will  be 
in  our  power.  Impress  strongly  on  their 
minds  the  important  fact,  that  the  king,  their 
Great  father,  is  determined  to  see  justice  done 
them,  and  not  to  make  peace  with  the  enemy 
until  their  lands  are  restored,  and  complete 
security  given  that  they  are  not  again  molested 
or  invaded." 

These  matters  must  necessarily  give  them 
courage.  You  will  present  my  best  wishes  for 
their  success  to  La  Feuille  and  the  Little  Cor- 
heau,  and  that  I  have  the  fullest  reliance  upon 
their  zeal  and  courage  in  so  just  a  war;  and  that, 
if  necessary,  they  will  bring  down  all  their 
young  men  to  your  assistance.  I  shall  use 
every  exertion  to  send  Mr.  Dickson  with  the 
Indian  presents,  I  hope,  accompanied  by  a  de- 
tachment of  troops,  as  soon  as  possible  after  the 
latter  arrive.  In  the  meantime,  I  send  by  Mr. 
Rolette  four  barrels  of  powder  for  the  Indians. 
You  will  know  it  from  his,  that  belonging  to 
him  being  marked  with  his  initials. 

With  regard  to  the  volunteers,  those  belong- 
ing to  the  bay  being,  I  understand,  greatly 
wanted,  you  will,  if  their  services  can  be  dis- 
pensed with,  permit  them  to  return,  of  course, 
omitting  them  in  your  pay-list  from  the 
day  their  service  ceases.  The  remainder  will 
certainly  be  required,  at  all  events,  till  relieved; 
but  you  may  render  their  garrison  duty  as  easy 
and  as   little    harassing  to   them,  as   possible, 


192 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


assuring  them  all  at  the  same  time,  that  I  am 
higlily  pleased  with  their  behaviour  and  services 
they  have  rendered.  As  they  so  meritoriously 
contributed  to  llie  recovery  of  the  Prairie  du 
Chien  and  Fort  McKay,  so,  I  doubt  not,  they 
will  as  gallantly  exert  themselves  to  defend 
their  conquest.  I  am  perfectly  satisfied  hitherto 
with  your  measures,  but  particularly  with  send- 
ing the  gun  and  detachment  to  support  the  In- 
dians. 

The  war  must  be  kept  at  as  great  a  distance 
from  you  as  possible.  You  must  hold  a  high 
language  to  the  Indians,  such  as  our  great  power, 
and  unparalleled  successes  in  general,  and  our 
commanding  attitude  in  the  Canadas  in  particu- 
lar, justify  and  require. 

Let  the  bright  prospect  which  we  may  fairly 
anticipate,  leave  not  a  thought  amongst  any  of 
you  but  of  success  and  victory,  and  animate  the 
whole  in  such  a  manner  as  will  prevent  the 
enemy  from  ascending  the  Mississippi  this  sea- 
son. 

Next  year  we  shall,  I  hope,  be  able  to  afford 
more  effectual  support,  and  the  enemy  will  then 
find  himself  assailed  in  all  directions,  and  have 
fully  enough  upon  his  hands.  I  have  the  honor, 
etc. 

(Signed,)  Rob't  McDouaix, 

Lieut.  Col.  Com'd'g. 

P.  S.  As  commandant,  no  person  is  to  in- 
terfere with  your  command.  I  doubt  not  but 
you  are  well  supported  by  the  officers  under  you, 
particularly  Lieuts.  Graham  and  Brisbois,  and 
Serg't  Keating  of  the  artillery.  You  will  not 
fail  to  mention  to  me  such  as,  from  their  zeal 
and  good  conduct,  merit  my  approbation,  and 
such  rewards  as  may  heretofore  be  in  my  power 
to  bestow. 

Capt.  Anderson  to  Lieut.  Col.  R.  McDouali.. 
Peairie  des  Chiens,  Fort  McKay, 
Oct.  18th,  1814. 

Sir  : — I  had  the  honor  to  receive  your  favor 
of  the  2-3d  Sept.,  by  Mr.  Rolette,  and  as  Lieut. 
Graham,  whom  I  liad  sent  off  with  dispatches  to 
you,  on  the   13th   inst.,  haying  returned  with 


Mr.  Rolette  here,  affords  me  an  early  opportu- 
nity of  returning  you  my  thanks  for  your  ap- 
probation of  the  measures  I  have  adopted  in  the 
defense  of  this  post. 

Long  ere  this  you  will  have  received  my  detail 
of  our  successes  at  the  Rock  river.  Though  no 
prizes  were  made,  yet  the  favorable  result  of  that 
expedition  has  been  of  the  first  consequence  in 
the  preservation  of  this  country  ;  for  had  the 
enemy  put  their  design  in  execution,  and  had 
murdered  the  Sauks  in  that  inhuman  and 
American-like  manner,  as  was  their  intention, 
as  mentioned  in  my  letter  of  the  1  Ith  inst.,  the 
Indian  tribes  on  the  Mississippi  would  not  have 
been  easily  brought  to  understand  or  believe 
that  our  government's  intention  to  support 
tliem  is  real.  In  fact,  the  Indian  character  is 
such  that  when  a  promise  is  made  them,  and 
not  fulfilled  at  the  time  appointed,  they  imme- 
diately, without  paying  attention  to  the  circum- 
stances that  cause  the  disappointment,  attribute 
it  to  design,  and  a  conditional  promise  with 
them  is  construed  into  a  real  or  positive  one. 

The  unforeseen  and  unfortunate  delay  of  the 
Indian  goods,  notwithstanding  Capt.  Dease's 
and  my  indefatigable  endeavors  to  explain  to 
the  Indians  from  whence  it  proceeds,  is  seri- 
ously injurious  to  the  confidence  placed  by 
them  ;  and  if,  unfortunately,  anything  should 
tu}n  up  to  prevent  Robert  Dickson  coming  out 
here,  and  the  supplies  not  reaching  us,  one-half 
of  the  Indians  must  inevitably  starve  to  death. 
This  last  circumstance,  which  they  themselves 
are  continually  observing  to  me,  ought  and 
would,  to  a  set  of  rational  beings  in  their  situ- 
ation, convince  them,  that  without  the  supplies 
they  receive  from  the  British  government,  they 
cannot  exist. 

Mr.  Rolette,  having  contracted  for,  and  being 
able  immediately  to  commence  the  supplying 
the  garrison,  is  very  opportunely  ;  for  the  com- 
missary stores  were  quite  exhausted  and  the 
troops  began  to  feed  on  Indian  corn.  There  is  still 
a  barrel  of  pork  remaining,  which  I  ke[)t  as  a 
stand-by.      I  shall,  as  soon  as  these  dispatches 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


103 


are  gone,  transfer  to  Mr.  Rolette  what  small 
quantity  of  salt  is  remaining,  say  about  forty 
pounds,  and  will  imtuediately  go  about  putting 
everything  respecting  the  garrison,  etc.,  in  a 
regular  way,  according  to  the  forms  I  have  re- 
ceived. 

With  respect  to  the  payment  of  the  troops, 
Mr.  Rolette  has  offered  to  furnisii  tlie  money 
for  that  purpo.se,  they  having  been  paid  up  to 
the  24th  of  August  last.  The  cold  weather  set- 
ting in,  and  the  absolute  necessity  they  are  in 
for  some  articles  of  clothing,  will  make  it 
necessary  for  me  to  pay  them  up  to  the  24th 
inst.,  which  I  would  not  otherwise  do  till  I  re- 
ceive your  orders  to  that  effect.  Whatever  dis- 
bursements I  have  been  obliged  to  make,  shall 
be  all  transferred  to  Mr.  Rolette,  in  order  to 
give  less  trouble,  being  under  one  head.  Mr. 
Rolette  appears  to  wish  to  do  everything  in  his 
power  for  the  good  of  the  service,  and  says  he 
will  at  all  times  furnish  what  money  he  can  for 
that  purpose,  and  as  to  his  contract,  I  am  con- 
vinced he  will  do  everything  possible  to  com- 
plete it.  The  greatest  inconvenience  will  be  on 
account  of  salt,  which  cannot  be  procured  here 
to  preserve  the  summer's  supply  of  meat. 

I  am  ])utting  Fort  McKay  in  as  strong  and 
comfortable  a  situation,  and  at  as  little  expense, 
as  possible,  at  the  same  time  omitting  nothing 
that  may  tend  to  the  safety  of  the  place.  The 
four  barrels  of  powder  sent  out  by  Mr.  Rolette 
were  received,  as  also  some  half-pound  round 
shot,  and  the  case  of  round  shot  mentioned  as 
deficient  in  my  letter  of  the  1  Ith  inst. 

In  conformity  to  your  orders,  I  sent  off  the 
Green  Hay  Volunteers,  and  nitie  of  my  own 
company,  under  Lieut.  Graham,  of  the  Indian 
department.  I  have  given  orders  to  Lieut. 
Graham  to  proceed  with  all  possible  haste  till 
he  meets  Robert  Dickson  ;  that  should  he  meet 
the  troops  previous  to  meeting  Mr.  Dickson, 
to  give  them  every  assistance  in  his  power. 
My  motive;  for  doing  this  is  because  I  under- 
stand they  are  greatly  in  need  ;    and  as  there 


are  no  appearances  of  the  enemy's  approach  at 
present,  the  men  are  little  wanted  here. 

The  troops  here  have  been  almost  continually, 
more  or  less  of  them,  on  fatigue,  for  which  I 
make  them  the  usual  allowance  of  ten  pence 
per  day.  The  militia,  when  on  fatigue,  will 
have  the  same  allowance;  and  as  circumstances 
made  it  necessary  for  me  to  oblige  them  to 
furnish  themselves  with  provisions,  they  will 
have  six  pence  per  day  for  that;  and  for  every 
team  furnished  they  will  receive  five  shillings 
— all  of  which,  as  well  as  every  other  account, 
shall  be  correctly  stated,  and  Mr.  Rolotte  will 
pay  them.  With  respect  to  the  officers  here,  I 
am  highly  pleased  with  them  all,  and  assure 
you  they  have  rendered  every  service  in  their 
power.  As  to  Sergt.  Keating,  of  the  artillery, 
from  the  zealous,  courageous  and  handsome 
manner  in  which  he  has  behaved  himself  since 
he  left  Mackinaw,  I  conceive  him  worthy  of 
every  advantage  that  merit  in  his  profession  de- 
serves. 

Mr.  Honore,  of  the  Indian  department,  has, 
since  we  left  Mackinaw,  acted  in  the  capacity  of 
commissary,  without  whose  assistance  I  would 
be  badly  off  in  this  respect,  for  which  Mr. 
Rolette  informs  me  he  has  received  your  api)ro- 
bation  of  granting  him  the  pay  of  a  lieuten'int, 
which  I  hope  may  not  be  improper  to  continue, 
as  his  assistance  in  that  capacity  is  indispen- 
sably necessary.  It  may  be  proper  for  me  to  ob- 
serve, that  the  high  price  of  goods  at  this  place 
would  make  it  impossible  for  a  private  soldier 
to  keep  himself  completely  equipped,  exclusive 
of  his  yearly  clothing,  even  if  he  had  a  subal- 
tern officer's  pay.  It  requires  two  and  a  half 
month.s'  j)ay  of  a  private  to  buy  himself  a  pair 
of  shoes,  and  other  things  in  jn'oportion. 

The  detachment  of  Michigan  fencibles  in 
this  garrison  have,  till  now,  proved  to  be  good 
soldiers;  but  they  require  severe  officers.  As 
this  garrison  is  small,  and  not  placed  in  an  ad- 
vantageous situation  for  the  defense  of  the 
place,  it  will  be  necessary  for  the  officer  com- 
manding here,   as  soon  as  possible,  to  have  the 


194 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


requsite  instructions  on  this  head;  and  if  an  al- 
teration is  allowed  to  be  made,  the  materials 
necessary,  such  as  wood  and  stone,  must  be  got 
out  to  the  spot  on  the  snow.  My  determination 
and  wish  to  act  in  every  respect  in  conformity 
to  your  orders,  and  as  exactly  as  possible,  makes 
it  necessary  for  me  to  trouble  you  much  more 
on  some  heads  than  I  perhaps  ought  to  do;  but 
as  the  good  of  the  service  requires,  as  long  as  I 
hold  my  present  situation,  that  I  should  seek 
every  information  in  this  way,  I  take  the  liberty 
to  ask  you  what  authority  I  have  with  respect 
to  the  Indian  department,  and  whether  the 
necessary  provisions,  etc.,  for  the  Indians  are 
furnished  by  the  garrison,  or  whether  the  officers 
of  that  department  make  those  purchases  them- 
selves? 

The  Sauks  or  Mississippi  Indian  heroes  have 
just  arrived,  and  brought  word  that  a  party 
lately  arrived  from  the  Riviere  Des  Forts,* 
brought  in  ten  scalps,  and  say  they  will  continue 
to  bring  them  in  as  they  do  ducks  from  the 
swamps.  The  want  of  provision s[^has  been  the 
cause  of  my  not  making  an  attempt  there. 
Everything  must  be  ready  for  a  start  in  the 
spring.  Should  the  re-inforcement  of  troops 
reach  here  in  time,  I  should  deem  it  best  to 
make  an  attack  this  fall,  as  it  wonld  be  an  im- 
portant point  for  the  defense  of  this,  to  obstruct 
their  boats.     I  am  impatient  for  instructions. 

I  am  informed  that  representations  have  been 
made  at  Mackinaw  with  respect  to  my  conduct  in 
the  execution  of  my  duty  here;  but  as  they  pro- 
ceed from  envy  and  meanness,  I  do  not  reganl 
them.  My  actions  have  ever  been  conducted  by 
the  purest  motives  for  the  good  of  the  service; 
and  if  I  did  not  give  the  command  of  the  expe- 
dition to  the  Rock  river  to  Capt  Grignon,  it 
was  because  his  conduct  in  the  pursuit  of  the 
American  gun-boat,  at  the  taking  of  this  place, 
on  the  19th  of  July  last,  would  not  authorize  me 
to  entrust  a  command  of  so  much  consequence 
to  his  charge. 


*    So  it  appears  in  the  manuscript;  perhaps  Des  Moines 
river  is  the  stream  referred  to . 


MiCHILLIMACKINAW,  28th  Oct.,'l814. 

To  Capt.  Anderson:  , 

Sie: — I  was  highly  gratified  on  receiving  your 
dispatch,  announcing  the  defeat  of  another 
attempt  of  the  enemy  to  ascend  the  Mississippi 
for  an  attack  on  your  post.  I  also  fully  approve 
of  the  judicious  measures  you  adopted  to  coun- 
teract their  intentions,  particularly  in  affording 
that  prompt  assistance  to  the  Sauks  which 
inspired  them  with  such  courage  and  confi- 
dence, and  in  the  end  was  productive  of  such 
brilliant]  results.  Capt.  Bulger,  of  the  Royal 
Newfoundland  regiment,  being  appointed  by 
me  to  command  at  Fort  McKay,  and  on  the 
Mississippi,  in  resigning  it  to  him,  I  should  not 
do  justice  to  the  opinion  I  entertain  of  your 
merit,  did  I  not  testify  my  entire  satisfaction 
with  your  conduct  while  you  held  it.  I,  there- 
fore doubt  not  that  you  will  exhibit  the  same 
zeal  for  the  good  of  the  service,  and  afford 
Capt.  Bulger  the  utmost  assistance  and  support 
which  may  be  in  your  power,  and,  in  the  event 
of  being  again  attacked  by  the  enemy,  that  your 
company  of  volunteers  will  distinguish  them- 
selves by  their  gallantry  and  good  conduct,  of 
which,  you  may  assure  them,  I  have  a  high  idea. 

I  have  directed  Capt.  Bulger  to  give  every 
facility  to  you,  duly  receiving  your  pay,  and  the 
other  allowances  to  which  you  and  your  officers 
are  entitled.     I  have  the  honor,  etc., 

(Signed)  Rob't  McDouall, 

Lieut.  Col.  Commanding. 
Praieie  du  Chien,  Jan.  3,  1«]5. 

Robert  Dickson,  "  agent  of  the  western  In- 
dians, and  superintendent  of  the  conquered 
countries,"  writes  under  the  above  date,  to  Capt. 
A.  H.  Bulger,  commanding  Fort  McKay  : 

Sir  : — The  sergeant  on  guard  having  informed 
me  that  the  Indian  chief  who  was  then  a  pris- 
oner in  Fort  McKay,  was  sick,  I  thought  proper 
to  send  the  Sioux  interpreter,  Joseph  Renville, 
to  visit  him,  who  returned  with  the  following 
talk  delivered  by  the  Indian  : 

"I  am  very  sick.  My  Father  apparently  finds 
it  necessary  that  I  should   die   here.     If  I  am 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


196 


longer  kept  a  close  prisoner,  I  will  most  surely 
die  of  disease.  It  troubles  my  spirit  to  think 
that  I  shall  die  of  sickness.  I  request  of  my 
Father  that  I  may  suffer  death  from  the  hands 
of  his  soldiers.  Dying  by  the  hands  of  his 
soldiers,  will  be  the  means  of  saving  my  Nation 
from  destruction ;  and  the  Sioux  chief,  the 
Little  C'orbeau,  will  know  the  manner  of  my 
death.  The  man  who  committed  the  murder 
of  my  band  ;  but  I  understand  that  it  is  not 
altogether  for  him  that  I  am  bound,  but  for  the 
very  bad  conduct  of  my  people  before  this  hap- 
pened —  therefore,  I  demand  to  die  by  the 
hands  of  your  soldiers." 

On  being  interrogated  by  the  interpreter  re- 
specting the  man  who  was  first  confined,  and 
who  had  promised  to  return,  he  answered : 
"That  he  was  not  a  man  of  his  band;  and 
knowing  the  evil  disposition  of  his  people,  he 
was  sure  that  they  had  killed  him."  He  then 
added  :  "I  am  an  old  man.  It  was  with  diffi- 
culty that  I  got  here.  You  know  that  I  fell 
down  often  on  the  road,  and  principally  when  I 
descended  the  mountain  ;  but  my  courage  .and 
force  were  renewed  when  I  reflected  that  I  was 
going  to  save  the  lives  of  my  children  by  dying 
for  them.  Do  not  let  my  Father  think,  that  by 
mean  excuses  and  evasions,  that  I  wish  to  save 
my  life.  No  !  I  am  above  such  baseness.  I 
not  afraid  of  death.  My  Father  has  already 
done  me  honor  in  sending  his  first  soldiers  to 
bring  me  here.  I  did  not  think  my  old  body 
was  worth  so  much  trouble." 

I  think  it  necessary  to  make  you  the  above 
communication,  and  in  an  hour  hence  1  shall 
wait  on  you  in  order  to  give  you  some  infor- 
mation I  have  just  received. 

THE    INPIAN    MURDERER .JANUARY   1,    1815. 

Le  Corbeau  Francois,  on  arriving  at  the  gate 
of  Fort  McKay,  with  the  prisoner  who  had 
killed  the  two  men,  said  :  "My  Father!  Here 
is  the  dog  that  bit  you.  In  delivering  him  up, 
I  trust  that  it  will  be  the  means  of  saving  my 
hand  froMi  destruction."  On  coming  into  the 
commandant's  room  he  again  repeated  :  "This  is 


the  dog  that  bit  you.  Do  with  him  as  you 
please  ;  he  deserves  to  die.  I  have  one  favor  to 
request  of  you — that  you  will  not  kill  hiiu  until 
I  gooff;  he  most  surely  merits  death.  In  de- 
livering up  this  bad  man,  I  also  give  up  the 
marks  [gifts  insignia  of  friendship]  of  the 
Americans.  Although  we  are  not  numerous,  I 
think  we  can  act  as  well  as  the  other  Indians, 
and  henceforth  I  am  resolved  to  follow  your 
counsel.  Some  time  ago  you  frightened  me, 
and  I  then  thought  it  was  a  bad  business  ;  but 
I  am  now  convinced  that  it  was  the  best  thing 
that  could  have  happened,  as  it  is  the  means  of 
preserving  the  lives  of  our  women  and  children. 
You  are  now  busy;  I  will  relate  to  you  at  another 
time  what  the  Americans  told  me,  the  last  time 
I  went  to  see  them." 

Le  Corbeau  Francois' talk  January  7th,  even- 
ing: "The  reports  that  the  Indian,  lately  ar- 
rived from  the  Americans,  brought,  were  these: 
They  told  me,  said  he,  that  when  they  got  angry 
that  they  would  bring  all  the  Nations  from  the 
Missouri,  and  sweep  away  everything  in  this 
quarter  before  them.  Notwithstanding  this,  I 
have  given  up  their  marks  and  colors.  I  know 
what  I  do, and  I  shall  in  future  act  against  them." 
He  then  repeated  to  the  interpreter  the  substance 
of  the  letter  of  Robert  Dickson,  the  superin- 
tendent, to  Capt.  Bulger. 

On  the  trial,  being  interrogated  by  the  court, 
and  pointing  to  the  prisoner,  asked  if  he  was 
the  man  who  killed  one  man  and  wounded  the 
other?  He  answered — "He  is  truly  the  man." 
The  chief  then  addressed  the  prisoner:  "Why 
did  you  deny  the  bad  act  you  have  done?  You 
ought  to  speak  the  truth.  The  Master  of  Life 
will  take  pity  on  you.  There  can  be  no  pardon 
for  you — prepare  for  death.  You  ought  not  to 
regret  dying  after  committing  the  crime  you 
have."     To  this  the  prisoner  made   no   answer. 

When  taken  from  the  court  to  the  guard- 
house, the  prisoner  requested  to  see  two  Indians, 
his  relations,  which  was  granted.  On  their 
coming  into  iho  guard-house,  the  prisoner  thus 
reproached  tiiem:     "You  have  betrayed  me   in 


196 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


bringing  me  here.  I  thought  at  least  one  of  you 
woukl  have  consented  to  die  with  me;  and  far 
from  that  being  the  case,  you  have  not  even 
come  to  see  me."  They  thus  replied  to  tlie 
prisoner:  "Do  you  think  we  have  come  so  far 
in  the  cold  for  the  love  we  bear  you?  You 
killed  the  people  who  came  to  save  our  lives, 
without  any  quarrel.  If  it  depended  on  us  to 
save  your  life,  you  would  not  live  a  single 
moment." 

FoET  McKay,  l-5th  January,  1815. 
Sir: — We  beg  of  you  to  excuse  us  for  the 
fault  we  committed  towards  your  person,  and 
the  dignity  of  your  commission;  after  wiiich 
we  dare  flatter  ourselves  that  you  would  conde- 
scend to  receive  this  new  address. 

F.  B., 
J.  R. 
In  the  name  of  the    inhabitants   of   the    Dogs' 

Plains. 
To  Capt.  A.  H.Bulger,  Com'dg  Fort  McKay. 
Fort  McKay,  15th  January,  1815. 
Sir: — We,  the  citizens  of  the  Dog  Plains, 
not  knowing  in  what  manner  to  explain  the 
sentiments  with  which  we  are  penetrated,  we 
pray  that  you  will  receive  our  thanks  and  ac- 
knowledgments for  the  protection  thatyou  as- 
sure to  His  Britannic  Majesty's  subjects.  Your 
conduct  and  activity  in  rendering  justice  in  an 
Indian  country,  which  has  been  exposed  to  so 
many  misfortunes  hitherto, gives  us  hopes  to  live 
in  quiet  under  your  command;  and  permit  us  at 
the  same  time,  more  and  more  to  testify  our 
zeal  and  loyalty  towards  our  sovereign.  We 
beg  of  you  to  believe  us,  with  profound  respect, 
sir, 

Your  very  humble  servants, 

[Names  not  preserved.] 
To  Capt.  A.  H.  Bulger,    Comd'g  Fort   McKay. 

MiCHILLIMACKINAC,  24th  Feb.,  1815. 

To  Capt.  Anderson — 

Sir: — I,  this  day,  had  the  honor  of  your  let- 
ter of  the  l7th  ult.,  stating  your  having  resigned 
the  command  of  Fort  McKay  to  Capt.  Bulger. 
That  gentleman  speaks  of  you  in  such  a  manner 


that  I  have  only  to  reiterate  to  you  my  thanks 
for  the  zeal  and  ability  you  displayed  in  your 
command  at  a  very  critical  period  ;and  I  have  to 
beg  of  you  to  give  to  Cajjt.  Bulger  the  most 
friendly  and  cordial  support, and,  by  every  assis- 
tance in  yourpower,endeavor  to  aid  in  procuring 
those  supplies  which  will  still  enable  us  to  retain 
that  most  important  country,  upon  which  our 
Indian  connection,  and  even  the  safety  of  this 
island  so  much  depend. 

I  am  fully  aware  of  the  sacrifices  you  have 
made  for  the  public  service,  and  shall  be  ever 
ready,  as  far  as  it  is  in  my  power,  to  prove  to 
you  how  desirous  I  am  of  your  being  recom- 
pensed, as  you  merit.  I  had  before  taken  this 
into  consideration,  and  in  my  last  dispatch 
recommended  you  to  His  Excellency  to  be  a 
captain  in  the  Indian  department  from  the  4th 
of  September.  This  appointment,!  have  reason 
to  believe,  will  afford  you  those  permanent  ad- 
vantages, which,  as  captain  of  the  Michigan 
fencibles,  you  would  probably  enjoy  but  a  short 
time.  I  well  know  your  zeal  for  the  service, 
and  will  always  be  ready  to  serve  you  as  far  as 
in  ray  power,  and  in  the  way  most  pleasing  for 
yourself. 

Every  human  effort  must  be  made  by  one  and 
all  of  you,  to  preserve  your  important  post, 
upon  which  so  much  depends.  Do  your  utmost 
to  conciliate  and  animate  the  Indians,  for  with 
their  hearty  co-operation,  I  trust  that  the  enemy 
is  again  destined  to  defeat  and  disgrace.  As  it 
is  ray  wish  that  the  utmost  harmony  should 
prevail  at  your  garrison  during  this  important 
crisis,  I  strongly  recommend  to  you  to  forget 
what  has  passed,  with  regard  to  Mr.  Rolette,  and 
to  be  in  future,  on  that  friendly  footing  with 
him,  which  may,  perhaps  assist  him  in  furnish- 
ing the  supplies,  which  are  of  so  much  conse- 
quence in  enabling  Capt.  Bulger  to  retain  his 
important  post.        I  have  the  honor,  etc., 

(Signed):  Robert  McDouall, 

Lieut.  Col.  Com'd'g,  and  Commanding  the  In- 
dian   Department  thereof,  and  its  dependen- 
cies. 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


197 


Answer  of  La  Feuille,  or  The  Leaf,  principal 
Sioux  chief,  to  Thomas,*  delivered  to  Cai>t. 
Anderson.     [No  date,  in  1814  or  181 5. J 

INIy  Brother! — T  iiave  heard  your  words  and 
received  your  talk,  and  will  use  my  endeavors 
to  follow  your  advice.  You  are  near  our  Great 
Father  at  ^Micliilliniaekmac,  who  gives  us  good 
counsels,  and  puts  us  in  the  road  of  our  anc<!s- 
tors.  Who  would  be  foolish  enough  not  to 
follow  his  advice? 

My  Beother  Thomas!— I  regard  you  as  a 
brot'aer.  Take  this  pipe,  (holding  a  pipe  in  his 
hand),  and  with  it,  talk  to  the  Chippewas  near 
me  (the  liereditary  enemies  of  the  Sioux);  they 
are  wild  and  stubborn.  I  wish  to  be  as  brethren 
with  them.  Tell  them  a  parcel  of  foolish  Renards 
(Foxes)  went  to  war  against  them,  though  I 
used  my  endeavors  to  prevent  them.  It  is  my 
wish  to  be  at  peace  with  all  Nations.  I  regard 
you  as  a  brother,  and  hold  you  fast  by  the  hand. 

Speech  of  L'Epervier,  or  Sparrow  Hawk,  bet- 
ter known  as  Black  Hawk,  principal  war  chief 
of  the  Sauks,  delivered  before  peace  was  known, 
at  Prairie  du  Chien,  April  18,  1815,  and  taken 
down  by  Capt.  T.  G.  Anderson: 

"  Mv  Father! — I  am  pleased-  to  hear  you 
speak  as  you  have  done.  I  have  been  sent  by 
our  chiefs  to  ask  for  a  large  gun  (cannon),  to 
place  in  our  village.  The  Big  Knives  are  so 
treacherous,  we  are  afraid  that  they  may  come 
up  to  deceive  us.  By  having  one  of  your  large 
guns  in  our  village,  we  will  live  in  safety;  our 
women  will  then  be  able  to  plaiitcorn,and  hoe  the 
ground  unmolested,  and  our  young  men  will  be 
able  to  hunt  for  their  families  without  dread  of 
the  Big  Knives." 

Taking  the  war-belt  in  his  hand,  and  advanc- 
ing a  little,  he  continued: 

"My  Father!— You  see  this  belt.  When 
my  Great  Father  at  Quebec  gave  it  to  me  to  be 
on  terms  of  friend.ship  with  all  his  Red  Children, 
to   form    but   one  body,   to  preserve  our  lands, 

•.\.i  La  Feuillo  refers  to  Thomas  whom  he  addresses  ag  re- 
sidiiiK  "near"  tn  Mnc-tinaw,  it  must  have  reference  to  the 
Menomonce  Chief  Thoinus  or  Tomah,  who  lived  near  Green 
bay.  rather  than  the  Sank  Chief  Thomas,  whoso  home  was 
doubtless  with  his  people  near  the  mouth  of  Rock  river. 


and  to  make  war  against  the  Big  Knives,  who 
want  to  destroy  us  all,  my  Great  Father  said: 
'Take  courage,  my  children,  hold  tight  your 
war  club,  and  destroy  the  Big  Knives  as  much 
as  you  can.  If  the  Master  of  Life  favors  us, 
you  shall  again  find  your  lands  as  they  formerly 
were.  Your  lands  shall  again  become  green — 
the  trees  green — the  water  green,  and  the  sky 
blue.  When  your  lands  change  color,  you  shall 
also  change.'  This,  my  Father,  is  the  reason 
why  we  Sauks  hold  the  war  club  tight  in  our 
hands,  and  will  not  let  it  go. 

"  My  Father!— I  now  see  the  time  is  draw- 
ing near  when  we  shall  all  change  color;  but, 
my  Father,  our  lands  have  not  yet  changed 
color— they  are  red — the  water  is  red  with  our 
blood,  and  the  sky  is  cloudy.  I  have  fought  the 
Big  Knives,  and  will  continue  to  tight  them 
until  they  retire  from  our  lands.  Till  then,  my 
Father,  your  Red  Children,  cannot  be  happy." 

Then  laying  his  tomahawk  down  before  him, 
he  continued: 

"  My  Father!— I  show  you  this  war  club  to 
convince  you  that  we  Sauks  have  not  forgotten 
the  words  of  our  Great  Father  at  Quebec.  You 
see,  my  Father,  that  the  club  which  you  gave 
me  is  still  red  and  that  we  continue  to  hold  it 
fast.     For  what  did  you  put  it  in  my  hands? 

"My  Father!— When  I  lately  came  from 
war,  and  killed  six  of  the  enemy,  I  promised  my 
warriors  that  I  would  get  something  for  them 
from  my  Father,  the  Red  Head  ;  but  as  he  is 
not  here,  and  you  fill  his  place,  I  beg  of  you, 
my  Father,  to  let  me  have  .something  to  take 
back  to  them. 

"  My  Father! — I  hope  you  will  agree  to  what 
I  ask,  and  not  allow  me  to  return  to  my  warriors 
empty-handed,ashamod,and  with  a  heavy  heart." 

Speech  of  the  Kickapoo  chief,  the  Barbou- 
i Her,  addressed  to  Capt.  Anderson,  at  Prairie 
du  Chien,  Aug.  3,  isio. 

"My  Father! — You  suppose  within  yourself: 
What  has  this  old  fellow  got  to  say?  I  have 
not  much  to  say.  My  chief  and  warriors  sent 
me  to  listen  to  your  words,  as  the  voice  of  our 


198 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


Great  Father  at  Mchillimackinac.  I  hear  the 
news  from  below  (meaning  St.  Louis),  and 
from  you.  From  below  I  hear,  but  do  not  re- 
tain it;  from  you  I  hear  with  satisfaction,  and 
my  ears  and  heart  are  open,  and  retain  what 
you  say.     The  Sauks  and  my  Nation  make  one; 


and  whatever  they  say,  I  hearken  to  it.  The 
Great  Spirit  hears  us  talk  to-day  under  a  clear 
sky,  and  we  must  tell  truth.  I  squeeze  my 
Father's  hand,  am  obedient  to  his  word,  and 
will  not  forget  the  charity  he  now  bestows 
upon  us." 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


199 


CHAPTER     VI 


THE  WINNEBAGO  WAR. 


During  the  winter  of  1825-6,  there  were  con- 
fined in  the  guard  house  of  Fort  Crawford,  at 
Prairie  du  Chien,  because  of  some  alleged  dis- 
honest act,  two  Winnebago  Indians.  In  Octo- 
ber, 1826,  the  fort  was  abandoned  and  the  gar- 
rison removed  to  Fort  Snelling.  The  com- 
mandant took  with  him  the  two  Winnebagoes. 
During  the  spring  of  1827,  the  reports,  about 
the  two  Indiana,  around  Prairie  du  Cliien,  was 
to  the  effect  that  tliey  had  been  killed.  It  was 
soon  apparent  that  a  spirit  of  enmity  between 
the  tribe  and  the  settlers  in  southwestern  Wis- 
consin was  effectually  stirred  up.  In  addition 
to  this,  were  the  daily  encroachments  of  miners 
in  the  lead  region;  for  these  miners  had,  by 
tliis  time,  overrun  the  mining  country  from 
Galena  to  the  Wisconsin  river.  Finally  the 
difficulties  led  to  an  open  rupture. 

MURDER  OF  GAGNIEE  AND    LIPCAP. 

On  the  28th  of  June,  1827,  two  Winnebago 
Indians,  Red  Bird  and  Wo-Kaw  and  three  of 
their  companions,  entered  the  house  of  Rigeste 
Gagnier,  about  two  miles  from  Prairie  du 
Ciiien,  where  they  remained  several  hours.  At 
last,  when  Mr.  Gagnier  least  expected  it.  Red 
Bird  leveled  his  gun  and  shot  him  dead  on  his 
hearthstone.  A  person  in  the  building  by  the 
name  of  Lipcap,  who  was  a  hired  man,  was 
slain  at  the  same  time  by  We-Kaw.  Madame 
Gagnier  turned  to  fly  with  her  infant  of  eigh- 
teen months.  As  she  was  about  to  leap  through 
the  window,  the  child  was  torn  from  her  arms 
by  We-Kaw,  stabbed,  scalped  and  thrown  vio- 
lently on  the  floor  as  dead.  The  murderer  then 
attacked  the  woman,  but  gave  way  when  she 


snatched  up  a  gun  that  was  leaning  against  the 
wall,  and  presented  it  to  his  breast.  She  then 
effected  her  escape.  Her  eldest  son,  a  lad  of 
ten  years,  also  shunned  the  murderers,  and  they 
both  arrived  in  the  village  at  the  same  time. 
The  alarm  was  soon  given  ;  but,  when  the 
avengers  of  blood  arrived  at  Gagnier's  house, 
they  found  in  it  nothing  living  but  his  mangled 
infant.  It  was  carried  to  the  village,  and,  in- 
credible as  it  may  seem,  it  recovered. 

A  WINNEBAGO    DEBAUCH. 

Red  Bird  and  his  companions  immediately 
proceeded  from  the  scene  of  their  crime  to  the 
rendezvous  of  their  band.  During  their  ab- 
sence, thirty-seven  of  the  warriors  who  ac- 
knowledged the  authority  of  Red  Bird,  had  as- 
sembled with  their  wives  and  children,  near  the 
mouth  of  the  Bad  Ax  river,  in  what  is  now 
Vernon  county.  They  received  the  murderers 
with  joy  and  loud  approbations  of  their  exploit. 
A  keg  of  liquor  which  they  had  secured  was  set 
abroach,  and  the  Indians  began  to  drink  and  as 
their  spirits  rose,  to  boast  of  what  they  had  al- 
ready done  and  intended  to  do.  They  continued 
their  revel  for  two  days,  b'lt  on  the  third  the 
source  of  their  excitement  gave  out — their 
liquor  was  gone.  They  were,  at  about  4  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon,  dissipatint;  the  last  fumes  of 
their  excitement  in  the  scalp-dance,  when  they 
descried  one  of  the  keel-boats,  which  had  a  few 
days  before  passed  up  the  river  with  provisions 
for  the  troops  at  Fort  Snelling,  on  her  return, 
in  charge  of  Mr.  Lindsay.  Forthwith  a  pro- 
posal to  take  her  and  massacre  the  crew  was 
made  and  carried  by  acclamation.     They  count- 


200 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


ed  on  doing  this  without  risk,  for  they  had  ex- 
amined her  on  her  way  up  and  supposed  there 
were  no  arms  on  board.  But  in  this  they  were 
mistaken  as  the  sequal  shows. 

FIRST  BATTLE  OF  BAD  AX. 

There  were  indications  of  hostilities  on  the 
part  of  the  Sioux  on  the  upper  Mississippi,  and 
the  boats  wlien  tliey  left  Fort  Snelling  had  been 
supplied  with  arms.  In  descending  tiie  river 
they  expected  an  attack  at  Wabashaw,  where 
the  Sioux  were  dancing  the  war  dance,  and 
hailed  their  approach  with  insults  and  menaces, 
but  did  not  offer  to  attack  the  boats,  or  obstruct 
their  passage.  The  whites  now  supposed  the 
danger  over,  and,  a  strong  wind  at  that  moment 
beginning  to  blow  up  stream,  the  boats  jjarted 
company  So  strong  was  the  wind  that  all  the 
force  of  the  sweeps  could  scarcely  stem  it;  and 
by  the  time  the  foremost  boat  was  near  the  en- 
campment, at  the  mouth  of  the  Bad  Ax,  the 
crew  were  very  willing  to  stop  and  rest.  One 
or  two  Frenchmen,  or  half-breeds,  who  were  on 
board  observed  hostile  appearances  on  shore, 
and  advised  the  rest  to  keep  the  middle  of  the 
stream  witii  the  boat,  but  their  counsel  was  dis- 
regarded. They  urged  the  boat  directly  toward 
the  camp  with  all  the  force  of  the  sweeps. 
There  were  sixteen  men  on  deck. 

The  men  were  rallying  their  French  com- 
panions on  their  apprehensions,  as  the  boat 
approached  the  shore;  but  when  within  thirty 
yards  of  the  bank,  suddenly  the  trees  and  rocks 
rang  with  the  blood-chilling,  ear-piercing  tones 
of  the  war  whoop,  and  a  volley  of  rifle  balls 
rained  upon  the  deck.  Happily,  the  Winneba- 
goes  had  Tiot  yet  recovered  from  the  effects  of 
their  debauch,  and  their  arms  were  not  steady. 
One  man  only  fell.  He  was  a  little  negro 
named  Peter.  His  leg  was  dreadfully  shattered 
and  he  afterward  died  of  the  wound.  A  second 
volley  soon  came  from  the  shore;  but,  as  the 
men  we  e  lying  at  the  bottom  of  the  boat,  they 
all  escaped  but  one,  who  was  shot  through  the 
heart.  Encouraged  by  the  non-resistance,  the 
Winnebagoes  rushed  to  their  canoes  with  in- 


tent to  board.  The  boatmen  having  recovered 
from  their  first  panic,  seized  their  guns  and  the 
savages  were  received  with  a  severe  discharge. 
In  one  canoe  two  savages  were  killed  with  the 
same  bullet  and  several  wounded.  The  attack 
was  continued  until  night,  when  one  of  the  par- 
ty named  Mandeville,  who  had  assumed  com- 
mand, sprang  into  the  water,  followed  by 
four  others,  who  succeeded  in  setting  the  boat 
afloat,  and  then  went  down  the  stream. 

Thirty-seven  Indians  were  engaged  in  this 
attack,  which  may  be  called  the  first  "Battle  of 
Bad  Ax;"  the  second  being  fought  just  below 
this  point,  five  years  after,  between  the  Ameri- 
cans and  Indians  of  another  tribe,  of  which  an 
account  will  be  given  in  another  chapter.  Of 
the  Winnebagoes  seven  were  killed  and  four- 
teen wounded.  They  managed  to  put  693  shots 
into  and  through  the  boat.  Two  of  the  crew 
were  killed  outright,  and  four  wounded — two 
mortally.  The  presence  of  mind  of  Mande- 
ville undoubtedly  saved  the  rest,  as  well  as  the 
boat.  Mr.  Lindsay's  boat,  the  rear  one,  did  not 
reach  the  mouth  of  the  Bad  Ax  until  midnight. 
The  Indians  opened  fire  upon  her,  which  was 
promptly  returned.  Owiiig  to  the  darkness  no 
injury  was  done  to  the  boat,  and  she  passed 
safely  on.  Consideri  ng  the  few  that  were  en- 
gaged in  the  attack  on  the  first  boat  and  in  its 
defense,  the  contest  was  indeed  a  spirited  and 
sanguinary  one. 

GEBAT  ALARM  UPON  THE  BORDER. 

Great  was  the  alarm  at  Prairie  du  Chien 
when  the  boats  arrived  there.  The  people  left 
their  houses  and  farms  and  crowded  into  the 
dilapidated  fort.  An  express  was  immediately 
sent  to  Galena,  and  another  to  Fort  Snelling, 
for  assistance.  A  company  of  upwards  of  a 
hundred  volunteers  soon  arrived  from  Galena, 
and  the  minds  of  the  inhabitants  were  quieted. 
In  a  few  days  four  imperfect  companies  arrived 
from  Fort  Snelling.  The  consternation  of  the 
people  of  the  lead  mines  was  great,  and  in  all 
the  frontier  settlements.  This  portion  of  the 
country  then  contained,  as   is    supposed,  about 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


■201 


5,000  inhabitants — tliat  is  south  of  the  Wiscon- 
sin river  and  at  Prairie  dii  Ciiien,  and  extending 
into  Illinois.  A  great  many  of  tlieso  tied  from 
their  homes. 

ARRIVAI,  OF  GOVERNMENT  TROOPS. 

On  the  1st  of  September,  1827,  Maj.  William 
Whisller,  with  government  troops  arrived  at 
the  portage  (now  Portage,  Columbia  Co.,  Wis.), 
and  while  there  an  express  arrived  from  Gen. 
H.  Atkinson,  announcing  his  approach,  and  di- 
recting him  to  halt  and  fortify  himself  and  wait 
his  arrival.  Tlie  object  of  the  joint  expedition 
of  Gen.  Atkinson  from  Jefferson  barracks  below 
St.  Louis,  and  of  Maj.  Whistler  from  Fort  How- 
ard, at  Green  Bay,  was  to  capture  those  who 
had  committed  the  murders  at  Prairie  du  Chien, 
and  ])ut  a  stop  to  any  further  aggression.  And 
this  march  of  tlie  t^vo  into  the  Winnebago  coun- 
try from  o])positt' clirections  was  well  cilculated 
to  overawe  the  disaffected  amongthe  Winneba- 
goes.  These  Indians  were  soon  advised  that 
tlie  seiuirity  of  llieir  people  lay  in  the  surrender 
of  the  murderers  of  the  Gagnier  family.  Ac- 
cordingly, Red  Bird  and  We-Kaw  were  surren- 
dered up  to  !\Iaj.  Whistler,  at  the  portage  and 
the  Winnebago  war  was  ended.  The  two  In- 
dians were  taken  to  Prairie  du  Chien  for  safe- 
keeping, to  await  their  tri.al  in  the  regular  courts 
of  justice  for  murder. 

TRIAL  AND  CONVICTION  OF  THE   MURDERERS. 

The  next  spring  (1 828),  Rod  Bird,  We-Kaw 
and  another  Winnelaago  prisoner  were  tried  at 
Prairie  du  Chien,  before  Judge  James  Duane 
Dnty,  who  went  from  Green  Bay  there  for  that 
purpose.  They  were  found  guilty  and  sen- 
tenced to  death.  lied  Bird  died  in  prison.  A 
deputation  of  the  tribe  went  to  Washington  to 
solicit  from  the  President  of  the  United  States, 
John  Quincy  Adams,  a  pardon  for  the  others. 
I'resident  Adams  granted  it  on  the  implied  con- 
dition that  the  tribe  would  cede  the  lands  then 
the  possession  of  the  miners,  in  the  lead  re- 
gion, to  the  General  Government.  The  Winne- 
bagoes  agreed  to  this.  Madame  Gagnier  was 
compensated  for  the  loss  of  her  husband  and  ; 


the  mutilation  of  her  infant.  At  the  treaty 
with  the  Winnebagoes  held  at  Prairie  du  Chien 
in  1829,  provision  was  made  for  two  sections  of 
land  to  lier  and  her  two  children.  The  United 
States  agreed  to  pay  her  the  sum  of  #50  per  an- 
num for  fifteen  years  to  be  deducted  from  the 
annuity  of  the  Winnebagoes. 

de-kau-ray's  imprisonment. 
In  closing  this  account  of  the  "Winnebago 
War"  we  give  an  anecdote,  which  places  the 
Winnebago  character  in  an  amiable  light.  The 
militia  of  Prairie  du  Chien,  immediately  after 
the  affair  of  the  boats  at  the  mouth  of  the  Bad 
Ax  river,  seized  an  old  Winnebago  chief  named 
De-kau-ray  and  four  other  Indians.  The  chief 
was  informed  that  if  Red  Bird  was  not  given 
up  within  a  certain  time  he  and  the  others  were 
to  die  in  his  place.  This  De-kau-ray  steadfastly 
believed.  A  messenger,  a  young  Indian,  was 
sent  to  inform  the  tribe  of  the  state  of  affairs,  and 
several  days  had  elapsed  and  no  information 
was  received  of  the  murderers.  The  dreadful 
day  was  near  at  hand,  and  De-kau-ray,  being  in 
bad  health,  asked  permission  of  the  officer  to  go 
to  the  river  and  indulge  in  his  long-accustomed 
habit  of  bathing  in  order  to  improve  his  physi- 
cal condition,  upon  which  Col.  Snelliug  told 
him  that  if  he  would  promise  on  the  honor  of  a 
chief  that  he  woidd  not  leave  town,  he  might 
have  his  liherty  and  enjoy  all  his  privileges  un- 
til the  day  appointed  for  his  execution.  Ac- 
cordingly, he  first  gave  his  hand  to  the  colonel, 
thanking  him  for  his  friendly  offer,  then  raised 
both  hands  aloft,  and,  in  the  most  solemn  adjii- 
r.ation,  promised  that  he  would  not  leave  the 
bounds  prescribed,  and  said  if  he  had  a  hundred 
lives  he  would  sooner  lose  tliem  all  than  for- 
feit his  word.  He  was  then  set  at  liberty.  He 
was  advised  to  flee  to  the  wilderness  and  make 
his  escape.  "Do  you  think,"  said  he,  "I  prize 
life  above  honor?"  He  then  complacently  re- 
mained until  nine  days  of  the  ten  which  he  had 
to  live  had  passed,  and  still  nothing  was  heard 
of  the  murderers  or  of  their  being  apprehended. 
No  alteration  could  be  seen  in  the  countenance 


13 


202 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


of  the  chief.  It  so  happened  that  on  that  day 
Gen.  Atkinson  arrived  with  his  troops  from 
Jefferson  barracks,  and  the  order  for  the  execu- 
tion was  countermanded  and  the  Indians  per- 
mitted to  return  to  their  homes. 

WM.  J.    SNELLING    ON  THE   WINNEBAGO   WAR. 

No  tribe  considers  revenge  a  more  sacred 
duty  llian  the  Winnebagoes.  It  was  their  an- 
cient custom  to  take  five  lives  for  one,  and  it  is 
notorious  on  the  frontiers,  that  no  blood  of 
theirs  has  been  shed,  even  in  modern  days,  that 
has  not  been  fully  avenged.  They  used,  too,  to 
wear  some  part  of  the  body  of  a  slain  enemy 
about  them  as  a  testimonial  of  prowess.  We 
well  remember  a  grim  Winnebago,  who  was 
wont  to  present  himself  before  the  whites,  who 
passed  the  portage  of  the  Fo.x  and  Wisconsin 
rivers,  with  a  human  hand  hanging  on  his  breast. 
He  had  taken  it  from  a  Yankee  soldier  at  Tip- 
pecanoe. 

It  was  not  ditficult  to  stir  up  such  a  people  to 
hostility,  and,  moreover,  circumstances  favored 
the  design  of  the  Dakotas.  There  is,  or  was,  a 
village  of  Winnebagoes  on  the  Black  river,  not 
far  from  the  Dakota  town  of  which  Warba-shaw 
is  chief.  The  two  tribes  are  descended  from 
the  same  stock,  as  their  languages  abundantly 
prove,  and  the  claims  of  common  origin  have 
been  strengthened  by  frequent  intermarriages. 
Now,  it  happened,  that  at  the  time  when  Too- 
pun-kah  Zeze  was  put  to  death  at  Fort  Snelling, 
the  Red  Bird  was  absent  from  his  Winnebago 
village,  on  an  expedition  against  the  Ohippe- 
was.  He  returned  unsuccessful,  and,  conse- 
quently, sullen  and  malcontent.  Till  this  time, 
he  had  been  noted  among  his  tribe  for  his 
friendly  disposition  towards  the  "men  with 
hats, "  as  the  Indians  call  the  whites,  and 
among  the  traders,  for  his  scrupulous  honesty. 
However,  this  man,  from  whom  no  white  per- 
son beyond  the  frontier  would  have  anticipated 
injury,  was  easily  induced  to  commit  a  bloody 
and  unprovoked  outrage. 

Certain  Dakota  ambassadors  arrived  at  the 
Red  Bird's  village,  with  a  lie  in  their  mouths. 


"  You  have  become  a  by-word  of  reproach 
among  us,"  said  they;  "you  have  just  given  the 
Chippewas  reason  to  laugh  at  you,  and  the  Big 
Knives  also  laugh  at  you.  Lo!  while  they  were 
among  you  they  dared  not  offend  you,  but  now 
they  have  caused  Wa-man-goos-ga-ra-ha,  and  his 
companion  to  be  put  to  death,  and  they  have 
cut  their  bodies  into  pieces  not  bigger  than  the 
spots  in  a  bead  garter."  The  tale  was  believed, 
and  a  cry  for  vengeance  arose  throughout  the 
village.  It  was  decided  that  something  must 
be  done,  and  the  Dakota  envoys  promised  to 
lend  a  helping  hand. 

A  few  days  before,  two  keel-boats  had  .as- 
cended the  river,  laden  with  provisions  for  the 
troops  at  Fort  Snelling.  They  passed  the  mouth 
of  Black  river  with  a  full  sheet,  so  that  a  few 
Winnebagoes,  who  were  there  encamped,  had 
some  difficulty  in  reaching  them  with  their 
canoes.  They  might  have  t.aken  both  boats,  for 
there  were  but  three  fire-locks  on  board;  never- 
theless they  offered  no  injury.  H^hey  sold  fish 
and  venison  to  the  boatmen,  on  amicable  terms, 
and  suffered  them  to  pursue  their  journey  un- 
molested. We  mention  this  trifling  circum- 
stance, merely  because  it  was  afterwards  re- 
ported in  the  St  Louis  papers,  that  the  crews  of 
these  boats  had  abused  these  Winnebagoes 
shamefully,  which  assuredly  was  not  the  case.* 
The  wind  died  away  before  the  boats  reached 
the  village  of  Wa-ba-shaw,  f  which  is  situated 
on  the  west  bank  of  the  Mississipjii,  twelve  or 
fifteen  miles  above  the  mouth  of  the  Black 
river.  Here  the  Dakotas  peremptorily  com- 
manded them  to  put  ashore,  which  they  did. 
No  reason  was  assigned  for  the  order.  Upwards 

*  To  page  162,  vol.  il,  of  our  Collections,  we  appended  a 
note  from  Gov.  Keynold's  Life  and  Times,  which  probably 
embodied  the  newspaper  accounts  of  the  pretended  "shame- 
ful abuse  of  the  Winnebagoes"— that  the  crews  of  these  boats, 
on  their  upward  trip,  bad  stopped  at  a  Winnebago  camp, 
got  them  all  drunlt.  and  then  forced  six  or  seven  stupefied 
squaws  on  t)oard  tnv  corrupt  and  brutal  purposes,  and  Itept 
them  during  the  voyige  to  Fort  Snelling,  and  on  their  re- 
turn. Hence  the  Httrtck  on  the  boats  by  the  Winnebagoes 
when  thoy  became  sober  and  conscious  of  the  iniquity  done 
them.  Rut  this  emphatic  denial  by  Mr.  Snelling,  of  this 
infamous  charge,  and  the  fact  that  Judge  LocUwood,  in  his 
narrative,  and' Gen.  Smith  and  Mr,  Neill  in  their  histories, 
are  silent  on  the  subject,  should  brand  it  as  utterly  without 
foundation. 

+  The  site  of  the  present  town  of  Winona. 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWP^ORD  COUNTY. 


iiOS 


of  500  warriors  immediately  crowded  on  board. 
A  passenger,  who  was  well  acquainted  with  the 
Dakotas,  observed  that  they  brought  no  women 
with  them  as  usual;  that  they  were  painted 
black,  which  signifies  either  grief  or  hostility; 
that  they  refused  to  shake  hands  with  the  boat- 
men, and  that  their  speech  was  brief  and  sul- 
len. He  instantly  communicated  his  observa- 
tion to  Mr.  Lindsay,  who  commanded  the  boats, 
and  advised  him  to  push  on,  before  the  savages 
should  have  discovered  that  the  party  were 
wholly  unarmed.  Lindsay,  a  bold-hearted  Keii- 
tuckinn,  assumed  the  tone  of  command,  and 
peremptorily  ordered  the  Dakotas  ashore.  They, 
probably,  thouj^iil  that  big  words  would  be 
seconded  with  hard  blows,  and  complied.  The 
boats  pushed  on,  several  Indians  pursued  them 
along  the  shore  fur  several  miles,  with  speech 
of  taunt  and  <leHance,  but  they  offered  no  fur- 
ther molestation. 

'Ihe  D.ikota  villages"'  higher  up  showed  much 
ill-will,  but  no  disposition,  or  rather  no  courage, 
to  attack.  Altogetlier  apjtearances  were  so 
threatening,  that  on  his  arrival  at  Fort  Snellinij, 
Mr.  Linilsay  communicated  wiiathe  had  seen  to 
the  ciiminandingi>fflcer,  and  .-isked  that  his  crew 
should  be  furnished  with  arms  and  ammunition. 
1  he  reipiest  was  granted;  his  thirty-two  men 
were  provided  with  thirty-two  muskets,  and  a 
barrel  of  ball-cartridges.  Thus  secured  against 
attack,  the  boats  commenced  the  descent  of  the 
river. 

Li  the  meanwhile,  the  Red  Bird  had  cogi- 
tated upon  what  he  hail  heard,  every  tittle  of 
which  he  believed,  and  had  come  to  the  conclu- 
sion that  the  honor  of  his  race  required  the 
liliKid  of  two  Americans  at  least.  He,  there- 
fore, got  into  his  canoe  with  Wekaw,  or  the 
Sun,  and  two  otiiers,  and  paddled  to  Prairie  du 
Ciiien.  When  he  got  there  he  waited  upon  Mr. 
Hoilvin,  in  the  most  friendly  manner,  and 
begged  to  be  regarded  as  one  of  the  staunchest 
friends  of  the  Americans.  Tlie  venerable  agent 
admitted   his   claims,   but  absolutely  refused  to 


•Red  Wing  and  Kaposia,  saysNeill. 


give  him  any  whisky.  The  Winnebago  chief 
then  applied  to  a  trader  in  the  town,  who,  relying 
on  iiisgeneral  good  character,  did  nothesitate  to 
furnish  him  with  an  eight  gallon  keg  of  spirits, 
the  value  of  which  was  to  be  paid  in  furs  in  tlie 
succeeding  autumn. 

There  was  an  old  colored  woman  in  the  vil 
lage,  whose  five  sons  had  never  heard  that  they 
were  inferior  beings,  either  from  the  Lidians  or 
the  Canadian  French.  Therefore,  having  never 
considered  themselves  degraded,  they  were  not 
degraded;  on  the  contrary,  they  ranked  with 
the  most  respectable  inhabitants  of  the  i)Iace. 
We  knew  them  well.  One  of  them  was  the  vil- 
lage blacksmith;  the  others  were  substantial 
farmers.  Their  father  was  a  Frenchman,  and 
their  name  was  Gagnier. 

One  of  these  men  owned  a  farm  three  miles 
from  Prairie  du  Chien,  where  he  lived  with  his 
wife,  who  was  a  white  woman,  two  children  and 
a  hired  man  named  Lipcap.  Thither  the  Red 
Bird  repaired  with  his  three  companions,  sure 
of  a  fair  reception,  for  Registre  Gagnier  had 
always  been  noted  for  his  humanity  to  the  poor, 
especially  the  Indians. 

Registre  Gagnier  invited  his  savage  visitors 
to  enter,  hung  the  kettle  over  the  fire,  gave  them 
to  eat  and  smoked  the  pipe  of  peace  with  them. 
The  Red  Bird  was  the  last  man  on  earth  whom  he 
would  have  feared;  for  they  were  well  acquainted 
with  each  other  and  had  reciprocated  good  oflices. 
The  Indians  remained  several  hours  under 
Gagnier's  hospitable  roof.  At  last,  when  the 
farmer  least  expected  it,  the  Winnebago  chief 
leveled  his  gun  and  shot  him  down  dead  on  his 
hearth-stone.  Lipcap  was  slain  at  the  same 
instant  by  Wekaw.  Madame  Gagnier  turned  to 
flv  with  her  infant  of  eighteen  months.  As  she 
was  about  to  leap  through  the  window,  the 
child  was  torn  from  her  arms  by  Wekaw, stabbed, 
scalped  and  thrown  violently  on  the  fioor 
as  dead.  The  murderer  then  attacked  the 
woman;  but  gave  way  wlien  she  snatched  up  a 
gun  that  was  leaning  against  the  wall  and  pre- 
sented   it  to  his  breast.     She  then  effected  her 


204 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


escape.  Her  eldest  son,  a  lad  of  ten  years,  also 
shunned  the  murderers,  and  they  both  arrived 
in  the  village  at  about  the  same  time.  The 
alarm  was  soon  given;  but  when  the  avengers 
of  blood  arrived  at  poor  Registre  Gagnier's 
house,  they  found  in  it  nothing  living  but  his 
mangled  infant.  It  was  carried  to  the  village, 
and,  strange  as  it  may  seerp,  recovered.* 

The  Red  Bird  and  his  companions  immedi- 
ately proceeded  from  the  scene  of  their  crime  to 
the  rendezvous  of  their  band.  During  their  ab- 
sence, thirty-seven  of  the  warriors,  who  acknowl- 
edged the  authority  of  Red  Bird,  had  assem- 
bled, with  their  wives  and  children,  near  the 
mouth  of  Bad  Ax  river.  They  received  the 
murderers  with  exceeding  great  joy,  and  loud 
approbation  of  their  exploit.  The  keg  of  liquor 
was  immediately  set  abroach,  the  red  men  began 
to  drink,  and,  as  their  spirits  rose,  to  boast  of 
what  they  had  already  done,  and  intended  to  do. 
Two  days  did  they  continue  to  revel;  and  on 
the  third,  the  source  of  their  excitement  gave 
out.  They  were,  at  about  4  in  the  afternoon, 
dissipating  the  last  fumes  of  their  excitement  in 
the  scalp  dance,  when  they  descried  one  of  the 
keel-boats  before  mentioned,  approaching. 
Forthwith  a  proposal  to  take  her,  and  massacre 
the  crew,  was  made  and  carried  by  acclamation. 
They  counted  upon  doing  this  without  risk;  for 
they  had  examined  her  on  the  way  up,  and  sup- 
posed that  there  were  no  arms  on  bo.ard. 

Mr.  Lindsay's  boats  had  descended  the  river 
together  as  far  as  the  village  of  Wa-ba-sliaw, 
where  they  expected  an  attack.  The  Dakolas 
on  shore  were  dancing  the  war-dance,  and  hailed 
their  approach  with  insults  and  menaces;  but 
did  not,  nevertheless,  offer  to  obstruct  their 
passage.  The  whites  now  supposed  the  danger 
over,  and  a  strong  wind  at  that  moment  begin- 
ning to  blow  up  stream,  the  boats  parted  com- 
pany.    That  which  sat  deepest  in  the  water  had 


*  Gen  Smith,  on  the  authority  of  Jud^e  Doty,  states  that 
this  tragedy  occurred  on  the  28th  of  June,  1S37;  Judge  Locli- 
wood  sa^•s  the  26th  and  Niles  Register  says  the  24th.  Neill 
follows  Locliwood's  chronology. 


the  advantage  of  the  under  current,  and,  of 
course,  gained  several  miles  in  advance  of  the 
other. 

So  strong  was  the  wind,  that  all  the  force  of 
sweeps  could  scarcely  stem  it,  and,  by  the  time 
the  foremost  boat  was  near  the  encampment,  at 
mouth  of  the  Bad  Ax,  the  crew  were  very  will- 
ing to  stop  and  rest.  One  or  two  Frenchmen, 
or  half  breeds,  who  were  on  board,  observed 
hostile  appearances  on  shore,  and  advised  the 
rest  to  keep  the  middle  of  the  stream;  but  their 
counsel  was  disregarded.  Most  of  the  crew  were 
Americans,  who,  as  usual  with  our  countrymen, 
combined  a  profound  ignorance  of  Indian  char- 
acter with  a  thorough  contempt  for  Indian 
prowess.  They  urged  the  boat  directly  toward 
the  camp,  with  all  the  force  of  the  sweeps. 
There  were  sixteen  men  on  deck.  It  may  be 
well  to  observe  here,  that  this,  like  all  keel-boats 
used  in  the  Mississippi  valley,  was  built  almost 
exactly  on  the  model  of  the  Erie  and  Middlesex 
canal  boats. 

The  men  were  rallying  their  French  compan- 
ions on  their  apprehensions,  and  the  boat*  was 
within  thirty  yards  of  the  shore,  when  suddenly 
the  trees  and  rocks  rang  with  the  blood-chilling, 
ear-piercing  tones  of  the  warwhoop,  and  a  volley 
of  rifle  balls  rained  upon  the  deck.  Happily, 
the  Winnebagoes  had  not  yet  recovered  from 
the  effects  of  their  debauch,  and  their  arms  were 
not  steady.  One  man  only  fell  by  their  fire. 
He  was  a  little  negro  named  Peter.  His  leg 
was  dreadfully  shattered,  and  he  afterwards 
died  of  the  wound.     Then  Peter  began  to  curse 

and  swear,  d g  his  fellows  for  leaving  him 

to  be  shot  at  like  a  Christmas  turkey;  but  finding 
that  his  reproaches  had  no  effect,  he  also  man- 
aged to  drag  himself  below.  All  this  passed 
in  as  little  time  as  it  will  take  to  read  this  par- 
agraph. 

Presently  a  voice  hailed  the  boat  in  the  Sac 
tongue  demanding  to  know  if  the  crew  were 
Englisli?     A  half-Ureed  Sac,  named  Beancliamp, 


*  This  advance  boat  was  the  Oliver  H.  Perry,  according  to 
Geo.  Smith's  History  of  Wisconsin. 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


205 


answered  in  the  affirmative.  "Then,"  said  the 
querist,  "come  on  shore,  and  we  will  do  you  no 
harm,  for  we  are  your  brethren,  the  Sacs." 
"Dog,"  retorted  Beauchamp,  "no  Sac  would 
attack  us  thus  cowardly.  If  you  want  us  on 
shore,  you  must  come  and  fetch  us." 

With  that,  a  second  volley  came  from  the 
shore;  but  as  the  men  were  now  lying  prone  in 
the  bottom  of  the  boat,  below  the  water  line, 
they  all  escaped  but  one.  One  man,  an  American 
named  Stewart,  fell.  He  had  risen  to  return 
the  first  fire,  and  the  muzzle  of  his  musket  pro- 
truding through  a  loop-hole,  showed  some  Win- 
nebago where  to  aim.  The  bullet  struck  liim 
under  the  left  arm,  and  passed  directly  through 
his  heart.  He  feil  dead,  with  his  finger  on  the 
trigger  of  his  undischarged  gun.  It  was  a  hot 
day,  and  before  the  fight  was  over,  the  scent  of 
the  gunpowder  could  not  overpower  the  stench 
of  the  red  puddle  around  him. 

The  Winnebagoes  encouraged  by  the  non- 
residence,  now  rushed  to  their  canoes,  with  in- 
tent to  l)()ard.  One  venerable  old  man  endeavored 
to  dissuade  them.  He  laid  hold  on  one  of  the 
canoes,  and  would,  perhaps,  have  succeeded  in 
retaining  it;  but  in  the  heat  of  his  argument,  a 
bail  from  the  boat  hit  him  in  the  middle  finger 
of  the  peace-making  hand.  Very  naturally  en- 
raged at  such  unkind  treatment  from  his  friends, 
he  loosed  tiie  canoe,  hurried  to  his  wigwam  for 
his  gun,  and  took  an  active  part  in  the  remain- 
der of  the  action.  In  the  meanwhile,  the  white 
men  had  recovered  from  their  first  panic,  and 
seized  their  arms.  The  boarders  were  received 
with  a  very  severe  discharge.  In  one  canoe, 
two  savages  were  killed  with  the  same  bullet. 
Their  dying  struggles  upset  the  canoe,  and  the 
rest  were  obliged  to  swim  on  shore,  where  it 
was  sometime  before  they  could  restore  their 
arms  to  fighting  order.  Several  more  were 
wounded,  and  those  who  remained  unhurt,  put 
back,  satisfied  that  a  storm  was  not  the  best 
mode  of  attack. 

Two,  however,  persevered.  They  were  together 
in  one  canoe,  and  approached  the  boat   astern. 


where  there  were  no  holes  through  which  the 
whites  could  fire  upon  them.  They  soon  leaped 
on  board.  One  seized  the  long  steering  oar,  or 
rudder.  The  other  jumped  upon  deck,  where 
he  halted,  and  discharged  five  muskets,  which 
had  been  left  there  by  the  crew,  fled  below 
through  the  deck  into  the  bottom  of  the  boat. 
In  this  manner  he  wounded  one  man  very  se- 
verely. After  this  exploit,  he  hurried  to  the 
bow,  where  he  seized  a  long  pole,  and  with  the 
assistance  of  the  steersman,  succeeded  in 
grounding  the  boat  on  a  sand-bar,  and  fixing 
her  fast  under  the  fire  of  his  people.  The  two 
Winnebago  boatmen  then  began  to  load  and 
fire,  to  the  no  small  annoyance  of  the  crew. 
He  at  the  stern  was  soon  dispatched.  One  of 
the  whites  observed  his  position  through  a 
crack,  and  gave  him  a  mortal  wound  through 
the  boards.  Still,  he  struggled  to  get  overboard, 
])robably  to  save  his  scalp.  But  his  struggles 
were  feeble,  and  a  second  bullet  terminated 
them  before  he  could  effect  his  object.  After 
the  fight  was  over,  the  man  who  slew  him  took 
his  scalp. 

The  bow  of  the  boat  was  open,  and  the  war- 
rior there  still  kept  his  station,  out  of  sight, 
excepting  when  he  stooped  to  fire,  which  he 
did  five  times.  His  third  shot  broke  the  arm, 
and  passed  through  the  lungs,  of  the  brave 
Beauchamp.  At  this  sight,  one  or  two  began 
to  speak  of  surrender.  "No,  friends,"  cried  the 
dying  man  ;  "you  will  not  save  your  lives  so. 
Fight  to  the  last ;  for  they  will  show  no  mercy. 
If  they  get  the  better  of  you,  for  God's  sake 
throw  me  overboard.  Do  not  let  them  get  ray 
hair."  He  continued  to  exhort  them  to  resist- 
ance long  as  his  breath  lasted,  and  died  with 
the  words  "fight  on,"  on  his  lips.  Before  this 
time,  however,  his  slayer  had  also  taken  his 
leave  of  life.  A  sailor,  named  Jack  Mande- 
ville,  shot  him  through  the  head,  and  he  fell 
overboard,  carrying  his  gun  with  him. 

Frem  that  moment  Mandeville  assumed  the 
command  of  the  boat.  A  few  had  resolved  to 
take  the  skifif,  and  leave  the   rest  to  their  fate. 


•20G 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


They  had  already  cast  off  the  rope.  Jack  in- 
terposed, declaring  that  he  would  shoot  the 
first  man,  and  bayonet  the  second,  who  would 
persevere.  They  submitted.  Two  more  had 
hidden  themselves  in  the  bow  of  the  boat,  out 
of  sight,  but  not  out  of  danger.  After  a  while 
the  old  tar  missed  them,  sought  them,  and 
compelled  them  by  threats  of  instant  death, 
enforced  by  pricks  of  his  bayonet,  to  leave  their 
hiding  place,  and  take  share  in  the  business  in 
hand.  Afterwards  they  fought  like  bull  dogs. 
It  was  well  for  them  that  Mandeville  acted  as 
he  did ;  fur  they  had  scarcely  risen  when  a 
score  of  bullets,  at  least,  passed  through  the 
place  where  they  had  been  lying. 

After  the  two  or  three  first  volleys  tlie  fire 
had  slackened,  but  it  was  not,  therefore,  the 
less  dangerous.  The  Indians  had  the  ad- 
vantage of  superior  numbers,  and  could 
shift  their  positions  at  pleasure.  The  whites 
were  compelled  to  lie  in  the  bottom  of  the 
boat,  below  the  water  mark,  for  its  sides 
were  without  bulwarks.  Every  bullet  passed 
through  and  through.  It  was  only  at  intervals, 
and  very  warily,  that  they  could  rise  to  fire  ; 
for  the  flash  of  every  gun  showed  the  position 
of  the  marksman,  and  was  instantly  followed 
by  the  reports  of  two  or  three  Indian  rifles.  On 
the  other  hand  they  were  not  seen,  and  being 
thinly  scattered  over  a  large  boat,  the  Winm- 
bagoes  could  but  guess  their  positions.  The 
fire,  was  therefore,  slow  ;  for  none  on  either 
side  cared  to  waste  ammunition.  Thus,  for  up- 
wards of  three  hours,  the  boatmen  lay  in  blood 
and  bilge-water,  deprived  of  the  free  use  of 
their  limbs,  and  wholly  unable  to  extricate 
themselves. 

At  last,  as  the  night  fell,  Mandeville  came  to 
the  conclusion  that  darkness  would  render  the 
guns  of  his  own  party  wholly  useless,  while  it 
would  not  render  the  aim  of  the  Winnebagoes 
a  jot  less  certain.  He,  therefore,  as  soon  as  it 
was  dark,  stoutly  called  for  assistance,  and 
sprang  into  the  water.  Four  more  followed 
him.     The    balls   rained  around  them,  passing 


through  their  clothes;  but  tiiey  persisted,  and 
the  boat  was  soon  afloat.  Seeing  their  prey 
escaping,  the  Winnebagoes  raised  a  yell  of 
mingled  rage  and  despair,  atid  gave  the  whites 
a  f.arewell  volley.  It  was  returned,  with  three 
hearty  cheers,  and  ere  a  gun  could  be  re-loaded, 
the  boat  had  floated  out  of  shooting  distance. 

For  half  tiie  night,  a  wailing  voice,  apparent- 
ly that  of  an  old  man,  was  heard,  following  the 
boat,  at  a  safe  distance,  however.  It  was  con- 
jectured that  it  was  the  father  of  him  whose 
body  the  boat  was  bearing  away.  Subsequently 
inquiry  proved  this  supposition  to  be  correct. 

Thirty-seven  Indians  were  engaged  in  this 
battle,  seven  of  whom  were  killed,  and  fourteen 
were  wounded.  They  managed  to  put  69.3  balls 
into  and  through  the  boat.  Two  of  the  crew 
were  killed  outright,  two  mortally,  and  two 
slightly  wounded.  Jack  Mandeville's  courage 
and  presence  of  mind  undoubtedly  saved  the 
rest,  as  well  as  the  boat  ;  but  we  have  never 
heard  that  he  was  rewarded  in  any  way  or 
shape. 

Mr.  Lindsay's  boat,  the  rear  one,  reached  the 
mouth  of  the  Bad  Ax  about  midnight.  The 
Indians  opened  a  fire  upon  her,  which  was 
promptly  r  turned.  There  was  a  light  on 
board,  at  which  the  first  gun  was  probably 
aimed,  for  that  ball  only  hit  the  boat.  All  the 
rest  passed  over  harmless  in  the  darkness.* 

Great  was  the  alarm  at  Prairie  du  Chien 
when  the  boats  arrived  there.  The  people  left 
their  houses  and  farms,  and  crowded  into  the 
dilapidated  fort.  Nevertheless,  they  showed 
much  spirit,  and  speedily  established  a  very 
effective  discipline.  An  express  was  immedi- 
ately sent  to  Galega,  and  another  to  Fort  Snel- 
ling,  for  assistance.     A  company  of  upwards  of 

*It  is  stated  in  Neill's  Minnesota,  that  among-  the  passen- 
gers on  Lindsa.v's  boat  was  Joseph  Snelling,  a  talented  son  of 
the  Colonel,  who  wrote  a  story  of  deep  interest,  based  on 
the  taets  narrated.  This  we  presume  was  William  J.  Snel- 
iing.  the  writer  of  this  narrative  As  for  the  date  of  the 
attack  on  these  keel  boats,  ,ludg:e  Lookwood  gives  it  as  June 
:;6th,  which  Neill  follows;  Gen.  Smith,  on  Judge  Doty's  au- 
thority, we  presume,  says  the 30th.  Whatever  was  the  real 
date,  one  thing  is  quite  certain,  that  the  murder  of  Gagniers 
family  and  the  boat  attack,  transpired  the  same  day,  and  the 
1  ext  day  the  first  of  the  keel  boats  arrived  at  Prairie  du 
Chien,  increasing  the  war  panic  among  the  people. 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


20'? 


100  volunteers   soon   arrived   from  t4alena,  and 
the  minds  of  the  inhabitants  were  quieted. 

In  a  few  days,  four  imperfect  companies  of 
tlie  5lh  Infantry  arrived  from  Fort  Snelling. 
Tht'  commandinor  officer  ordered  a  march  on  the 
lied  Uird's  village;  but  as  tlie  volunteers  re- 
fused to  obey,  and  determined  to  return  lioine, 
he  was  obliged  to  countermand  it. 

Tlie  consternation  of  the  people  of  the  lead 
mines  was  great  Full  half  of  them  tied  from 
the  country.  Shortly  after,  however,  when 
Gen.  Atkinson  arrived  with  a  full  regiment,  a 
consideral)le  body  of  volunteers  joined  him 
from  Galena,  and  accompanied  him  to  the  port- 
age of  Wisconsin,  to  fight  with  or  receive  the 
submission  of  the  Winnebagoes. 

Tlie  Red  Bird  there  appeared,  in  all  the  pai-a- 
[ihernalia  of  an  Indian  chief  and  warrior,  and 
surrendei'ed  himself  to  justice,  together  with 
his  companions  in  the  murder  of  Gagnier,  and 
one  of  his  1):im(1,  who  had  taken  an  active  part 
in  tlie  atttick  on  the  boats.  They  >vere  incarcer- 
atjcl  at  Prairie  dii  Cliien.  A  dreadfnl  epidemic 
broke  out  there  about  this  time,  ami  he  died  in 
prison.  He  knew  that  his  death  was  certain, 
and  did  not  shrink  from  it. 

In  the  course  of  a  year,  tlie  people  of  the 
lead  mines  increased  in  number  and  in  strength 
and  encroached  upon  the  Winnebago  lands. 
The  Winnebagoes  complained  in  vain.  The 
next  spring,  the  murderers  of  Methode,  and  the 
other  Indian  jirisoners,  were  tried,  convicted, 
and  sentenced  to  death.  A  deputation  of  the 
tribe  went  to  Washington  to  solicit  their  par- 
don. President  Adams  granted  it,  on  the  im- 
plied condition  that  the  tribe  would  cede  the 
lands  then  in  possession  of  the  miners.  The 
Winnebagoes  have  kept  their  word — the  land 
has  been  ceded,  and  Madame  Gagnier  has  been 
compensated  for  the  loss  of  her  husband,  and 
the  mutilation  of  her  infant.  We  believe  that 
she  received,  after  waiting  two  years,  the  mag- 
nificent sum  of  $2,000.* 

•At  the  treaty  helil  «t  Prairie  du  f 'hien  with  the  Winneba- 
Boes.  in  1829,  provision  was  made  for  two  seittions  of  land 
toTiiGRESE  Qaqnier  and  her  two  ohildron,    Krancoi»  a»d 


We  will  close  this  true  account  of  life  be- 
yond the  frontier,  with  an  anecdote  which 
places  the  Winnebago  character  in  a  more  ami- 
ble  light  than  anything  already  related.  The 
militia  of  Prairie  du  Chieii,  immediately  after 
the  affair  of  the  boats,  seized  the  old  chief  De 
Kau-ray — the  same  who  has  already  been  men- 
tioned. He  was  told  that  if  the  Red-Bird 
should  not  be  given  up  within  a  certain  time, he 
was  to  die  in  his  stead.  This  he  steadfastly 
believed.  Finding  that  confinement  injured 
his  health,  he  requested  to  be  permitted  to 
range  the  country  on  his  parole.  The  demand 
was  granted.  He  was  bidden  to  go  whither  he 
pleased  during  the  day,  but  at  sunset  he  was 
re(piired  to  return  to  the  fort  on  pain  of  being 
consideied  an  old  woman.  He  observed  the 
condition  religiously.  At  the  first  tap  of  the  re- 
treat, De  Kau-ray  was  sure  to  present  himself 
at  the  gate;  and  this  he  continued  to  do  till 
Gen.  Atkinson  set  him  at  liberty. 

AN  INCIDENT  OF    THE  WINNEBAGO  WAR. 

The  following  incident,  found  in  the  Western 
Courier,  published  at  Ravenna,  Ohio,  Feb.  26, 
1 8.30,  was  read  by  the  secretary  at  a  meeting  of 
the  Wisconsin  Historical  Society,  in  Decem- 
ber, 1862: 

"There  is  no  class  of  human  beings  on  earth 
who  hold  a  pledge  more  sacred  and  binding, 
than  do  the  North  American  Indians.  An  in- 
stance of  this  was  witnessed  during  the  Winne- 
bago war  of  1827,  in  the  person  of  De  Kau-ray, 
a  celebrated  chief  of  that  Nation,  who,  with 
four  other  Indians  of  his  tribe,  was  taken  prisoner 
at  Prairie  du  Chien.  Col.  Snelling,  of  the 
."ith  regiment  of  Infantry,  who  then  com- 
manded that  garrison,  dispatched  a  young  In- 
dian into  the  Nation, with  orders  to  inform  the 
other  chiefs  of  De  Kau-ray's  band,  that  unless 
those  Indians  who  were  the  perpetrators  of  the 
horrid  murders  of  some  of  our  citizens,  were 
brought  to  the  fort  and  given  up  within  ten 
days,  De  Kau-ray  and   the  other  four  Indians, 

Louise;  and  for  the  United  States  to  pay  Tiiekbse  GAONisit 
I  I  he  sum  of  J3I)  per  annum   for  fifteen  years,  to  be  deducted 
from  the  annnity  to  said  Indians. 


208 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


who  were  retained  as  hostages,  would  be  shot 
at  the  end  of  that  time.  The  awful  sentence 
was  pronounced  in  the  presence  of  De  Kau-ray, 
who,  though  proclaiming  his  own  innocence  of 
the  outrages  which  had  been  committed  by 
others  of  his  Nation,  declared  that  he  feared 
not  death,  though  it  would  be  attended  with 
serious  consequences,  inasmuch  as  he  had  two 
affectionate  wives,  and  a  large  family  of  small 
children,  who  were  entirely  dependent  on  him 
for  their  support;  but,  if  necessary,  he  was 
willing  to  die  for  the  honor  of  his  Nation. 

"The  young  Indian  had  been  gone  several 
daj's,  and  no  intelligence  was  yet  received 
from  the  murderers.  The  dreadful  day  being 
near  at  hand,  and  De  Kau-ray  being  in  a  bad 
state  of  health,  asked  permission  of  the  col- 
onel to  go  to  the  river  to  indulge  in  his 
long-accustomed  habit  of  bathing  in  order 
to  improve  his  health.  Upon  which,  Col. 
Snelling  told  him  if  he  would  promise,  on  the 
honor  of  a  chief,  that  he  would  not  leave  the 
town,  he  might  have  his  liberty  and  enjoy  all 
his  privileges,  until  the  day  of  the  appointed  ex- 
ecution. Accordingly,  he  first  gave  his  hand 
to  the  colonel,  thanking  him  for  his  friendly 
offer,  then  raised  both  his  hands  aloft,  and  in 
the  most  solemn  adjuration,  promised  that  he 
would  not  leave  the  bounds  prescribed,  and 
said  if  he  had  a  hundred  lives  he  would  sooner 
lose  them  all  than  forfeit  his  word,  or  deduct 
from  his  proud  Nation  one  particle  of  il-^ 
boasted  honor.  He  was  then  set  at  liberty.  He 
was  advised  to  flee  to  the  wilderness  and  make 
his  escape.  "But  no,"  said  he,  "do  you  think 
I  prize  life  above  lionor  ?  or,  that  I  would  be- 
tray a  confidence  reposed  in  me,  for  the  sake  of 
saving  my  life  ?"  He  then  complacently  re- 
mained until  nine  days  of  the  ten  which  he  had 
to  live  had  elapsed,  and  nothing  heard  from  the 
Nation  with  regard  to  the  apprehension  of  the 
murderers,  his  immediate  death  became  appar- 
ent; but  no  alteration  could  be  seen  in  the 
co\intenance  of  the  chief.  It  so  happened  that 
on  that  day    Gen.   Atkinson   arrived    with  his 


troops  from  Jefferson  barracks,  and  the  order 
for  the  execution  was  countermanded,  and  the 
Indians  permitted  to    repair    to  their  homes." 

GEN.  CASS  ON  THE  WINNEBAGO  OUTBREAK,  13-i7. 

In  a  speech.  Gen.  Lewis  Cass,  at  Burlington, 
Iowa,  in  June,  1855,  made  the  following  refer- 
ence to  the  Winnebago  outbreak  in   1827  : 

"Twenty-eight  years  have  elapsed,"  said  the 
venerable  statesman,  "since  I  passed  along  the 
borders  of  this  beautiful  State.  ''JMme  and 
chance  happen  to  all  men,'  says  the  writer  of 
old  ;  and  time  and  chance  have  happened  to 
me,  since  I  first  became  identified  with  the 
west.  In  1827  I  heard  that  the  Winnebagoes 
had  assumed  an  attitude  of  hostility  toward  the 
whites,  and  that  great  fear  and  anxiety  pre- 
vailed among  the  border  settlers  of  tiie  north- 
western frontier.  I  went  to  Green  Bay,  where 
I  took  a  canoe  with  twelve  voyagers  and  went 
up  the  Fox  river  and  passed  over  the  portage 
into  the  Wisconsin.  We  went  down  the  Wiscon- 
sin until  we  met  an  ascending  boat  in  the 
charge  of  Ramsay  Crooks,  who  was  long  a  resi- 
dent of  the  northwest.  Here  we  ascertained 
that  the  Winnebagoes  had  assumed  a  hostile 
attitude,  and  that  the  settlers  of  Prairie  du 
Chien  were  apprehensive  of  being  suddenly 
attacked  and  massacred.  After  descending 
about  seventy  miles  further,  we  came  in  sight 
of  the  Winnebago  camp.  It  was  situated  upon 
a  high  prairie,  not  far  from  the  river,  and  as  he 
approached  the  shore  he  saw  the  women  and 
children  running  across  the  prairie,  in  an  oppo- 
site direction,  which  he  knew  to  be  a  bad  sign. 
After  reaching  the  shore  he  went  up  to 
the  camp.  At  first  the  Indians  were  sul- 
len, particularly  the  young  men.  He  talked 
with  them  awhile,  and  they  finally  consented  to 
smoke  the  calumet.  He  afterwards  learned 
that  one  of  the  young  Indians  cocked  his  gun, 
and  was  about  to  shoot  him,  when  he  was  forci- 
bly prevented  by  an  old  man,  who  struck  down 
his  arm.  He  passed  down  to  Prairie  du  Chien, 
wher«  he  found  the  inhabitants  in   the  greatest 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


209 


state  of  alarm.  After  organizing  the  militia,  he 
had  to  continue  his  voyage  to  St.  Louis.  He 
stoppfd  at  (Taiena.  There  were  then  no  wliite 
iiiiiahitants  on  either  baiilv  of  tlie  Mississippi, 
nortli  of  the  Missouri  line.  Arrived  at  St. 
Louis,  after  organizing  a  force  under  Gen.  Clark 
and  Gen.  Atkinson,  he  ascended  the  Illinois  in 
his  canoe,  and  passed  into  Lake  Michigan  with- 
out getting  out  of  it.  The  water  had  tilled  tlie 
swamps  at  the  liead  of  Chicago  river,  whicii 
enabled  the  Doi/dgu'irs  to  navigate  his  canoe 
through  witiiout  seri(jus  ilifticulty.  Where  Chi- 
cago now  is  lie  found  two  families,  one  of  wliich 
was  that  of  his  old  friend  Kinzie.  This  was 
the  first  and  last  time  he  had  been  at  Burling- 
ton. New  countries  have  their  disadvantages 
of  which  tliose  who  come  at  a  later  day  know 
little.  Forty  years  ago  flour  sold  at  ^'2.  a  barrel, 
and  there  were  liundreds  of  acres  of  corn  in  the 
west  that  were  not  harvested.  The  means  of 
transportation  were  too  expensive  to  allow  of 
their  being  carried  to  market." 

GEN.  DODGE  TO  GKN.  ATKINSON. 

Galena,  Aug.  26,  1827. 
Dear  Gkseral: — Capt.  Henry,  the  ciiairman 
of  the  committee  of  safety,  will  wait  on  you 
at  Prairie  du  Chien,  before  your  departure  from 
tliat  place.  C^apt.  Henry  is  an  intelligent  gen- 
tleman, wlio  understands  well  the  situation  of 
the  country  The  letter  accompanying  Gov. 
Cass'  communication  to  you  has  excited  in  some 
measure  the  people  in  tliis  part  of  the  country. 
As  the  principal  part  of  the  efficient  force  is 
preparing  to  accompany  you  on  your  expedition 
up  the  Ouisconsin,  it  might  have  a  good  effect 
to  seiul  a  small  regular  force  to  tliis  part  of  t''e 
country,  and  in  our  absence  they  might  render 
protection  to  this  region. 

I  feel  tlie  importance  of  your  having  as  many 
mounted  men  as  the  country  can  afford,  to  aid 
in  punishing  those  insolent  Winnebagoes  who 
are  wishing  to  unite,  it  would  seem,  in  common 
all  the  disaffected  Indians  on  our  borders. 
From    information    received    last   night,    some 


straggling  Indians  have  been  seen  on  our  fron- 
tier. 

Your  friend  and  obedient  servant, 

II.  Dodge. 
To  Gen.  II.  Atkin.son,  Prairie  du  Chien. 

There  lias  repeatedly,  during  the  past  dozen 
or  fifteen  years,  appeared  in  ihe  papers  an  arti- 
cle purporting  to  be  An  Indian's  li ace  for  Life. 
It  stated,  that  soon  after  the  Winnebago  diffi- 
culties in  1827,  that  a  Sioux  Indian  killed  a 
Winnebago  Indian  while  out  hunting  near  the 
mouth  of  Root  river;  that  the  Winnebagoes 
were  indignant  at  the  act,  and  2,000  of  them 
assembled  at  Prairie  du  Chien,  and  demanded 
of  Col.  Taylor,  commanding  there,  the  procure- 
ment and  surrender  of  the  murderer.  An  officer 
was  sent  to  the  Sioux,  and  demanded  the  mur- 
derer, who  was  given  up  ;  and  finally  was  sur- 
rendered to  the  Winnebagoes,  on  condition  that 
he  should  have  a  chance  for  his  life — givingr 
him  ten  paces,  to  run  at  a  given  signal,  and 
twelve  Winnebagoes  to  pursue,  each  armed  only 
with  a  tomahawk  and  scalping  knife — but  he 
out-ran  them  all,  and  saved  his  life. 

H.  L.  Dousman  and  B.  W.  Brisbois,  have 
always  declared  that  no  such  incident  ever  oc- 
curred there,  and  that  there  is  'not  one  word  of 
truth  in  the  statement."  This  note  is  appended 
here  that  future  historians  of  our  State  may  un- 
derstand that  it  is  only  a  myth  or  fanciful  storv. 
DANIEL  M.  Parkinson's  kecollections  of  the 

WINNEBAGO   WAR. 

[From  "Collections  of  the  Slate  Historical  Society  of  Wis- 
consin,"  Vol.  II.  185U.] 

In  the  year  1822  considerable  excitement  was 
created  in  relation  to  the  lead  mines  near  Ga- 
lena, and  a  number  of  persons  went  there  from 
Sangamon  county,  among  whom  was  Col.  Ebe- 
nezer  Brigliam,  now  of  Blue  Mounds,  Dane  Co., 
Wis.  In  1826  the  excitement  and  interest  rela- 
tive to  the  lead  mine  country  became  consider- 
ably increased,  and  in  1827,  it  became  intense, 
equalling  almost  anything  pertaining  to  the 
California  gold  fever.  People  from  almost  all 
portions  of  the  Union  inconsiderately  rushed  to 
the  mining  region. 


210 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


With  Col.  William  S.  Hamilton,  Jam.es  D. 
Brents  and  two  otliers,  I  arrived  at  Galena  on 
the  4th  of  July,  182'7,  and  on  the  same  day  ar- 
rived also  a  boat  from  St.  Peter's,  which  had 
been  attacked  by  the  Indians  a  short  distance 
above  Prairie  dvi  Chien,  bringing  on  board  one 
man  killed  and  two  men  wounded.  In  the  en- 
counter with  the  Indians  they  killed  two  of 
them.         ***»*«* 

Upon  the  reception  of  the  alarming  intelli- 
gence of  the  attack  on  this  boat  and  also  upon 
some  of  the  inhabitants  near  Prairie  du  Chien 
and  the  reports  being  spread  over  the  country, 
a  scene  of  the  most  alarming  and  disorderly 
confusion  ensued — alarm  and  consternation  were 
depicted  in  every  countenance — thousands 
flocking  to  Galenafor  safety,  when  in  fact  it  was 
the  most  exposed  and  unsafe  place  in  the  whole 
country.  All  were  without  arms,  order  or  con- 
trol. The  roads  were  lined  in  all  directions 
with  frantic  and  fleeing  men,  women  and  chil- 
dren, expecting  every  moment  to  be  overtaken, 
tomahawked  and  scalped  by  the  Indians.  It 
was  said,  and  1  presume  with  truth,  that  the 
encampment  of  fugitives  at  \he  head  of  Apple 
river  on  the  first  night  of  tlie  alarm  was  four 
miles  in  extent  and  numbered  3,000  persons. 

In  this  state  of  alarm,  confusion  and  disorder 
it  was  extremely  difficult  to  do  anything;  almost 
every  man's  object  was  to  leave  the  country,  if 
possible.  At  length  a  company  of  riflemen  was 
raised  at  Galena,  upon  the  requsition  of  Gov. 
Cass  of  Michigan,  who  arrived  there  on  the  sec- 
ond daj  after  the  alarm.  This  company  was 
commanded  by  Abner  Fields,  of  Vandalia,  III., 
as  captain  and  one  Smith  and  William  .S.  Ham 
ilton  as  lieutenants,  and  was  immediately  put 
in  motion  for  Prairie  du  Chien,  by  embarking 
on  board  the  keel-boat  Maid  of  Fevre  river.  On 
our  way  up  the  river,  I  acted  as  sergeant  of  the 
company,  and  we  made  several  reeonnoitering 
expeditions  i|ito  the  woods  near  the  river.,  where 
Indian  encampments  were  indicated  by  the  ris- 
ing of  smokq.  In  these  reconnoissances  we  run 
the  hazard  of   some  danger,  but  fortunately  all 


the  Indians  that  we  met  were  friendly  disposed, 
and  did  not  in  the  least  sympathize  with  those 
who  had  made  hostile  demonstrations. 

When  we  arrived  at  Prairie  du  Chien  we 
took  possession  of  the  barncks,  under  the  prior 
orders  of  Gov.  Cass,  and  remained  there  for 
several  days  until  we  gave  way  to  Col.  Snell- 
ing's  troops  who  arrived  from  Fort  Snelling. 
While  we  remained  there, a  most  serious  difficulty 
occurred  between  Col.  Snelling,  of  the  regular 
army,  and  Capt.  Fields  and  Lieut.  Smith  of  our 
volunteers,  which  eventuated  in  Lieut.  Smith 
sending  Col.  Snelling  a  challenge  and  Capt. 
Fields  insisted  upon  doing  so  likewise,  but  Col. 
Hamilton  and  I  at  length  dissuaded  him  from 
it.  Col.  Snelling  declined  accepting  Lieut. 
Smith's  challenge,  and  immediately  sent  a 
corporal  with  a  file  of  men  to  arrest  Mr.  Scott, 
the  bearer  of  Smith's  communication.  The 
volunteers  refused  to  surrender  Scott  into  the 
hands  of  the  guard,  but  Col.  Hamilton  wrote  a 
note  to  Col.  Snelling  stating,  in  effect,  that  Scott 
should  immediately  appear  before  him.  Accord- 
ingly Col.  Hamilton  and  I  conducted  Mr.  Scott 
into  the  presence  of  Col.  Snelling,  who  inter- 
rogated him  as  to  his  knowledge  of  the  con- 
tents of  Lieut.  Smith's  communication;  and 
upon  Mr.  Scott's  assuring  the  colonel  that  he 
was  entirely  ignorant  of  the  subject-matter,  he 
was  dismissed. 

Col.  Snelling  then  addressed  the  volunteers 
in  a  pacific  and  conciliatory  manner,  which 
seemed  to  dispose  of  the  matter  amicably;  but 
the  colonel,  nevertheless,  refused  to  furnish  us 
with  any  means  of  support  or  any  mode  of  con- 
veyance back  to  Galena — as  the  boat  in  which 
we  came,  returned  there  immediately  after  our 
arrival.  But  for  the  noble  generosity  of  Mr. 
Lockwood,  who  kindly  furnished  us  with  a  boat 
and  provisions,  we  would  have  been  compelled 
to  have  made  our  way  back  to  Galena  on  foot, 
or  as  best  we  could,  without  provisions.  During 
our  entire  stay  at  the  garrison,  we  received  the 
kindest  treatment  and  most  liberal  hospitality 
at  the  hands  of  Mr.  Lockwood.     At  the  time  of 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


211 


our  arrival  at  Prairie  du  Chien,  the  citizens  had 
in  their  custody  as  hostages  for  the  good  con- 
duct of  their  Nation,  three  Indians,  one  of 
whom  was  the  well-known  chief  De-Kau-iay. 
lie  disclaimed  on  the  part  of  his  Nation  as  a 
whole,  any  intention  to  engage  in  hostilities 
with  the  whites;  he  was,  however,  retained 
some  time  as  a  hostage  before  being  released. 

During  our  absence,  another  volunteer  com- 
j)any  was  raised,  commanded  by  Gen.  Dodge, 
who  was  constantly  in  the  field  with  his  mounted 
force,  keeping  in  check  the  approach  of  the 
enemy.  During  his  rangings,  he  took  young 
Win-iie-shiek,  son  of.  the  chief  Win-ne-shiek, 
who  was  detained  as  a  hostage  for  some  time. 
No  farther  disturbances  of  a  serious  character 
took  place  that  season;  and  in  tlie  succeeding 
autumn,  (^ens.  Atkinson  and  Dodge  held  a 
council  or  treaty  with  the  Winnebagoes.  After 
this  we  had  no  more  Indian  troubles  till  1832. 

JAMES  II.  LOCKWOOD's    ACCOUNT    OF    THE    AVINNK- 
BAGO    WAR. 

In  the  winter  of  1825-26,  the  wise  men  at 
Washington  took  it  into  their  heads  to  remove 
the  troops  from  Fort  Crawford  to  Fort  Snelling, 
and  abandon  the  former.  'J'his  measure  was 
then  supposed  to  have  been  brought  about  on 
the  representation  of  Col.  Snelling  of  Fort 
Snelling,  who  disliked  Prairie  du  Chien  for 
difficulties  he  had  with  some  of  the  principal 
inhabitants.  During  the  winter  there  were 
confined  in  the  guar<lhouse  at  Fort  Crawford 
two  Winnebago  Indians,  for  some  of  their  su])- 
posed  dishonest  acts;  but  what  they  were 
charged  with,  I  do  not  now  recollect.  At  that 
time,  as  already  mentioned,  our  mails  from  St. 
Louis,  the  east  and  south,  came  via  Springfield 
to  Galena,  and  the  postmaster  at  Prairie  du 
Chien  sent  to  Galena  for  the  mails  of  tbat  place 
and  Fort  Snelling.  An  order  would  frequently 
arrive  by  steamboat  countermanding  a  previous 
ordir  for  the  abandonment  of  the  fort,  before 
the  arrival  of  first  order  by  mail,  and  this  mat- 
ter cnniiiiued  during  the  summer  of  18-26,  and 
until  Ociol)er,  when    a   positive    order  arrived, 


directing  the  commandant  of  Fort  Crawford  to 
abandon  the  fort,  and  proceed  with  the  troops 
to  Fort  Snelling;  and  if  he  could  not  procure 
ransportation,  to  leave  the  provisions,  ammu- 
nition and  fort  in  charge  of  some  citizen. 

But  a  few  days  previous  to  this  order,  there 
had  been  an  alarming  report  circulated,  that  the 
Winnebagoes  were  going  to  attack  Fort  Craw- 
ford, and  the  commandant  set  to  work  repairing 
the  old  fort,  and  making  additional  defenses. 
During  this  time  the  positive  order  arrived,  and 
the  i)recipitancy  with  which  the  fort  was  aban- 
doned during  the  alarm  was  communicated  to 
the  Indians  through  the  half-breeds  residing  at 
or  visiting  the  pUce,  which  naturally  caused 
the  Winnebagoes  to  believe  that  the  troops  liad 
fled  through  fear  of  them.  The  commandant 
took  with  him  to  Fort  Snelling  the  two  Winne- 
bagoes confined  in  Fort  Crawford,  leaving  be- 
hind some  provisions,  and  all  the  damaged 
arms,  with  a  brass  swivel  and  a  few  wall  pieces, 
in  charge  of  John  Marsh,  the  then  sub-agent  at 
this  place. 

The  Winnebagoes,  in  the  fall  of  182G,  ob- 
tained from  the  traders  their  usual  credit  for 
goods,  and  went  to  their  hunting  grounds  ;  but 
early  in  the  winter  a  report  became  current 
among  the  traders  that  the  Winnebagoes  had 
heard  a  rumor  that  the  Americans  and  English 
were  going  to  war  in  the  spring  ;  and  lieuce 
they  were  holding  councils  to  decide  upon  the 
course  they  should  adopt,  hunting  barely 
enough  to  obtain  what  they  wanted  to  subsist 
upon  in  the  meantime. 

Mr.  Brisbois  said  to  me  several  times  dur- 
ing t'le  winter,  that  he  feared  some  outrages 
from  the  Winnebagoes  in  the  spring,  as  from 
all  he  could  gather  they  were  bent  on  war, 
which  I  ought  to  have  believed,  as  Mr.  Bri-sbois 
had  been  among  them  engaged  in  trade  over 
forty  years.  But  I  thought  it  im])Ossible  that 
the  Winnebagoes,  surrounded,  as  they  were  by 
Americans,  and  troops  in  the  country,  should 
for  a  moment  seriously  entertain  such  an  idea. 
I  supposed  it  a  false  alarm,  and  gave   myself 


212 


HISTORY  OF  CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 


very  little  uneasiness  about  it ;  but  in  the 
spring,  when  they  returned  From  their  hunts,  I 
found  that  they  paid  much  worse  than  usual, 
although  they  were  not  celebrated  for  much 
punctuality  or  honesty  in  paying  their  debts. 
It  was  a  general  custom  with. the  traders,  »  hen 
an  Indian  paid  his  debts  in  the  spring  pretty 
well,  on  his  leaving,  to  let  him  have  a  little 
ammunition,  either  as  a  ])reseMt  or  on  credit. 
A  Winnebago  by  the  name  of  Wah-wah-peck- 
ah,  had  taken  a  credit  from  me,  and  paid  me 
but  a  small  part  of  it  in  the  spring  ;  and  when 
I  reproached  him,  lie  was  disposed  to  be  impu- 
dent about  it  ;  and  when  his  party  were  about 
going,  he  applied  to  rae  as  usual  for  ammunition 
for  the  summer,  and  insisted  upon  liaving  some, 
but  I  told  him  if  he  had  behaved  well,  and  paid 
me  his  credit  bette